Be kind, rewind
by SummersRain04
Summary: Post season 7. After being injured during a fight in the future, Buffy wakes in the body of her younger self. Her first stop is the library to see Giles, telling him everything that has happened right up to the point she loses consciousness in the hope that he can help her figure out why she was sent back. Reviews give me a happy
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:- It all belongs to Joss, I'm just playing with his characters for a bit.**

 **Rating:- This chapter is a T for language.**

Prologue

"Buffy!" Giles shouted as she was thrown through the air, landing painfully on the pile of firewood next to the barn.

Her vision began to blur as she heard the crack of gunfire. His special silver bullets, hollow point, filled with iron pellets, engraved with religious symbols and soaked in holy water, good for killing demons and hurting vamps. She tried to get up to help him but her body wouldn't cooperate past lifting her hand and twitching her foot so she had to suffer the sounds of the demon screaming as Giles shot it again and again, wondering if he would be hurt too.

His panicked voice screaming into a radio calling for help broke through her daze as she began to lose focus, she heard his feet hitting the hard packed dirt and skid to a stop next to her, felt his hands touch her throat checking for a pulse and her lips pulled up in a smile when she heard his relieved sigh shuddering from his chest.

"Buffy, open your eyes love" he said, running his hands over her body, a body he knew very well since they had fallen together after the fight with the First, checking her for other injuries.

She forced open her eyes and struggled to focus on his face, her head was pounding and she had a sharp pain on her right side, she tried to look but he stopped her,

"No, don't move love, just keep your eyes open and on me, the ambulance is coming" he said urgently, staring into her eyes with a desperation that scared her.

"I'm not going anywhere love" she whispered to him, lifting her hand and touching his cheek, "Might go to sleep though, I'm so tired" her eyes slid shut despite her efforts to keep them open.

"No! Don't shut your eyes, keep looking at me!" he shouted at her but her eyes wouldn't open no matter how hard she tried.

She heard the wail of the ambulance siren over his desperate pleas for her to stay with him, the council response team had gotten quicker since the last time they had needed them. Using every ounce of strength left she forced her eyes open and looked at him, "Told you we should have ignored the phone" she said with a sarcastic grin.

She saw his eyes light up with relief just as she blacked out, her last conscious thought was for her children at home with Dawn before all she knew was darkness.

Chapter 1

"Buffy!"

She slowly came up out of the darkness to the sound of her name being called. She turned over on the bed she was in, snuggling deeper into her pillow and tried to go back to sleep.

"Buffy, get up, you're going to be late for school" her Mom called up the stairs.

She sat bolt upright, gasping in shock when she realized she was in her old room in Sunnydale.

"Shit!" she said as she shot out of bed and yanked open her wardrobe door to look at herself in the mirror, she saw the still healing gash on her head and the bruise on her jaw and knew exactly when she had come to.

"Buffy!" her Mom called again, angrier this time.

"Coming Mom" she called back, proud that she had managed to keep her voice from trembling.

She rifled through her closet and pulled out her black jeans and a red tank top before bending down and grabbing up her black ballet pumps. She pulled open her underwear drawer and rummaged through it for her red bra and matching panties before running to the bathroom and grabbing a quick shower.

Dressing quickly she rushed back to her room and blow dried her hair before pulling it up in a ponytail and applying her make up and adding some silver jewelery. Ready in what was record time for her younger self she picked up her school bag and steeled herself for who was waiting for her downstairs.

"I'll see you later Mom" she called out as she ran down the stairs, finding that when it came to it, she couldn't face her Mom and not throw herself into her arms and never let go.

"Don't you want something to eat first?" her mother called from the kitchen.

"Not hungry, love you" she called back as she shut the front door, _I miss you, so much_ she thought as she ran down the sidewalk towards the school.

She got to the school just as the bell rang for homeroom and ran straight to the library, "Rup….Giles!" she called out, almost calling him by his first name, forgetting for a moment that this was twenty years in the past for him.

"Buffy? What is it? What's wrong?" he said coming out of his office and seeing her panicked look.

"Somethings happened to me and I don't know if you're going to like it" she said walking past him and into his office, "I need you to sit down"

"Buffy, I..Have you decided that you want me to go w...when the new W...Watcher gets h...here?" he stuttered and she would have laughed if it weren't for the hurt in his eyes, "I...I know that I h..hurt you, b..betrayed your trust..."

"Rupert" she said smiling at him. He hadn't stuttered in years having dropped that part of his persona after they had started dating, "please just sit down"

He sat heavily in his office chair, in shock that she had called him by his given name, "You have decided then" he said sadly looking at the floor.

"I'm not gonna want a new Watcher, so breath okay" she said placing her hand on his knee and giving it a reassuring squeeze, smiling when he breathed a sigh of relief "That's not what I want to talk to you about"

"Then what's happened that you don't think I will like?" he asked covering her hand with his and patting it uncomfortably.

"If you had the chance to know what would happen to me, to us, in the future, would you take it?" she asked removing her hand, lifting her bag over her head and dropping it on the floor.

"I'm not sure, knowing the future can be dangerous, changing one little thing can be disastrous, why?" he asked leaning forward and forcing her to look at him. When she did he sat back, his eyes wide as he realized she wasn't the same Buffy he had spoken to just last night, her eyes had a haunted look that spoke of deep loss and pain, he saw experience and a wisdom in them that wasn't there last night.

"You're not Buffy" he said standing up and leaning over her.

"I am Buffy just not this Buffy, I'm the Buffy from the future" she said sitting back and staring up at him, "Why did you never tell me you grew up on a bloody huge estate and that I should call you Sir Giles?" she asked and smirked when he sat back down, his mouth open in shock.

"It never mattered" he mumbled. He pulled his glasses off and pinched the bridge of his nose, "How far in the future?" he asked warily as he put them back on.

"Twenty years" she said crossing her legs under her, "Could I have a cup of tea and some biscuits please, I didn't eat breakfast and I ran all the way here"

"Of course...you actually want tea?!" he asked surprised, pausing as he turned to the kettle next to his desk.

"It's grown on me, hard to avoid it twenty four seven" she said with a smirk as he readied the tea leaves in the strainer.

"Do you want to know the future Rupert?" she asked softly as he put the sugar and milk on the table in front of her with a plate of biscuits.

"Will I want to know?" he asked as he poured the water into the tea pot.

He turned and put it on the table in front of her and then sat down as she reached forward for a biscuit, "Some of it yes, some of it no" she said as she ate.

"Would you want me to change any of it?" he asked as he shifted forward in his chair to lift the strainer from the pot, sitting back in surprise when Buffy beat him to it. He watched as she dunked the strainer a few times then lifted it out of the water and held it until it had stopped dripping, placing it back on the tray next to the kettle. She poured his, adding the right amount of sugar and milk before handing it to him and pouring her own.

"No, I wouldn't, not even the really shitty parts" she said quietly.

He took a sip of his tea and sat back, "Tell me" he said. Before she could start the library doors opened and they heard Willow call out for Giles.

He was watching her face as she organized her thoughts and caught the ripple of pain pass over her features at the sound of Willows voice, "I can't see her Rupert" she said looking at him, her wide pleading chameleon eyes, blue in this light, were filled with a deep seated pain that he couldn't explain.

He nodded and put his cup back on the table, standing he said, "I'll take care of it" brushing his hand over her hair trying to comfort her but at the same time ease his own heart and reassuring himself that this was really happening.

"Willow, could you perhaps come back later?" he asked as he left his office, "Buffy and I are trying to sort through some issues, as you call them, and would like to do so in private"

"Oh so that's why she wasn't in homeroom" Willow said her eyes lighting up with understanding, "Okay, is it gonna take long 'cause I can hack the schools database and change her attendance mark, take notes in our classes too"

"I don't know but that would be very much appreciated thank you Willow" he said giving her a grateful smile, "and when you see Xander can you let him know as well?"

"Sure I can do that" she said nodding her head, her short red hair bouncing around her face.

"Thank you" he said, watching her leave before turning and entering his office.

He found Buffy hugging her legs to her chest, her chin resting on her knees with a blank look on her face, "What happens to Willow Buffy?" he asked gently, sitting next to her on the couch.

"She dies" she whispered back to him, turning her head to look at him, her cheek squashed against her knee causing her to mumble, "So does Mom. I knew I would see Will today and I thought I could handle it, maybe I will be able to now I've heard her voice"

Giles wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her to him, "I think you should start telling me your story" he said hiding the shock he felt at hearing about the deaths in their future.

"The new Watcher is Wesley Wyndam-Price and he's a bumbling idiot who has no frigging idea what life is like in the field and is completely fucking clueless about living on a Hellmouth" she said with a laugh pulling back from his arms, "Faith goes bad and joins the mayor but we win anyway and I graduate" she said reaching for her tea.

"The mayor?" Giles asked doing the same, "Is he evil then?"

"Oh yeah, big time. He's over a hundred years old and built this town for demons to feed on and all because he wants to ascend as a demon"

"Ascend as a demon?" he asked intrigued at this information.

"Means he'll become a true demon, a snake actually but we blow him up along with the school. Angel leaves and starts his own detective agency in LA, Wes ends up working for him, so does Cordy"

"If that's the case we could start working against him now, it's not often we get a heads up like this. Are you sure you don't want to change anything?"

"It's tempting but it could change something in the future, a bad guy could get away or someone could die who wasn't meant to. Plus I wouldn't know what I'm going back to, if I go back" she said thoughtfully, looking out of the office window for a minute before turning back to him with a sad smile, "The first year of college blows by the way"

"Why what happens?"

"We drift apart. I get used and then find someone I thought was normal but turned out to be part of a military monster squad that experimented on demons, one of the professors at the college turns out to be a scientist who plays Frankenstein and builds a monster from human, demon and machine parts. It was fun taking him down, brought us all back together again and Spike comes back but it'll be okay 'cause the military neuter him and he helps, kind of" she said with a roll of her eyes and a smirk.

"You're not going to give me specifics are you" he said with a frown.

"Nope 'cause you will try and change things and I don't want you to, I like where we are now"

"And where are we now?" he asked raising his eyebrow at her.

"I'll get to that, eventually" she said smirking at him. She would never admit it to the him she was married to but she missed this part of him sometimes, the quiet reserved secretive guy who was secretly in love with her, "I will say this though – I know your secret"

He choked on the tea he had just drunk and looked at her with alarm as a blush started to spread over his face, "W…what secret?"

"You have more than one? I'm shocked Mr Giles" she teased, her eyes alight with amusement. "Anyway back to my story. My second year at college we meet Dracula, that was kinda cool even though he tried to convince me I was like him"

"Dracula is real!" Giles said in surprise as he took their tea things back over to his little sink.

"Yep and Oz leaves to learn to control his wolf which nearly kills Will and us" she said taking another biscuit from the plate, "I gain a little sister who isn't really my sister thanks to some monks and we have to fight a Big Bad who wants to use her to open a doorway" she paused then and looked at him sadly, "Mom gets sick and dies a few months later and I quit college to look after my not real sister. Will turns out to be gay and meets a really nice girl she falls in love with after Oz left and she gets hurt by this Big Bad making Will go all avenging Wicca on her ass"

"Willow becomes powerful then?"

"Big time. You get hurt quite badly when old fashioned knights on horse back attack us and Big Bad captures little sister. We go to the rescue and kinda win"

"'Kinda win' What does that mean?" he asked warily.

"I beat the Big Bad, you finished it off because I couldn't, I rescue little sister but the end had started so I had to make a decision, the only one I could make"

"And how did that end?"

"I died"

"You died!" he said his face losing its colour, "b..but you s..said you were fr...from twenty years in the future"

"I am, Will brought me back three months later and you have to let her bring me back" she said gripping his hands tightly between her own, "You had just left for England when she did it but you came back and could tell straight away something wasn't right but I didn't tell you, any of you, what was wrong until Xander called a demon that made us sing our deepest darkest secrets and you all found out that I was in Heaven"

"And she pulled you out of there" he said his voice taking on a dangerous tone.

"Don't Rupert, it works out in the end and you have to let it play out exactly as it did for me, I'm only telling you this because I'm hoping there's something in my history, somewhere, that gives me a clue about why I'm here and I need to know how I get back" she said seriously still holding his hands.

"What happens next?" he asked after a few minutes, visibly calming himself down.

"You leave me, go back to England" she said simply causing him to blink at her in her shock.

"I would never do that!" he said gripping her hands tighter in his own.

"You do and for good reason, I wasn't dealing with anything, leaving it all to you, even little sister" she said taking her hands away and standing to pace the small room, "I went to a very dark place and started sleeping with Spike, stopped paying attention to anything anyone else was doing and completely missed Willows problems and caused little sister to feel neglected but I woke up when college boyfriend came back and got my shit together just in time to get shot"

"Who shot you?" he asked confused by her rambling.

"Doesn't matter" she said waving her hand in the air dismissively, "Wills girlfriend got shot too but she died and Will went psycho, went after the guy who did it and killed him then tried for the other two who were working with him. I ended up fighting her and she had just thrown me across the room with a blast of magic when you show up and stop her from killing me. Xander stops her from ending the world and you take her to a coven in England to help her deal"

"The one in Devon?" he asked watching her pace. The amount of questions he had kept growing as she kept speaking. Why did she call him Rupert? What was wrong with Willow that he had to take her to the coven? Why would he ever think leaving her would be a good idea? He switched his attention back to Buffy as she wrung her hands in front of her.

"That's the one and they helped but she had to come back early because the First Evil started chomping and we had to get ready for the biggest fight we've ever faced. Potentials showed up at the house from around the world after their Watchers sent them to us before they were killed by the bringers, you came back with a few and told us the council was destroyed. You and another guy tried to kill Spike behind my back and we fell out, then a mission went wrong and Xander got hurt along with a few of the potentials, some died and then you all ganged up on me and kicked me out of the house, making Faith leader"

Giles was horrified by what he was hearing and vowed to change some of the things that would happen to her, not allowing her to be kicked out of her own house at the very least.

"You can't" she said and he looked up to find her staring at him fondly.

"I can't what?" he asked standing up and refilling the kettle.

"Change anything, even that"

He turned to look at her with astonishment, "How did you know..."

"What you were thinking?" she finished for him with a knowing grin, "I know you that's how"

"And how do you know me so well?" he asked turning his back to her and rinsing out the strainer, drying it to be used again. He turned back to her when she remained silent.

"Because after we defeat the First and destroy the town we end up dating and eventually we get married" she said with a smile that would ordinarily have dazzled him with its brightness.

Instead he stared at her, his mouth open in shock and dropped the cup he was holding.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:- See first chapter.**

 **Rating:- This chapter is a T for language.**

Chapter 2

"M...married?" he said after a few minutes of just staring at her smiling face.

"Uh huh, we have kids too, three of them, two boys and a girl"

"How….Wh..." he sat down heavily as he tried to make sense of what she had just told him.

"Because I love you, the me now won't realise until after graduation but you love me now, that's your secret by the way, and when you see me at prom you fall even deeper and there's no going back for either of us" she said kneeling in front of him and placing her hands on his thighs.

He looked down at her and saw her love shining from her eyes and his heart swelled with happiness at the thought he would eventually be with her, "How old are the children now?" he asked brushing his fingers over her cheek.

"Fourteen, thirteen and eleven. The youngest just had a birthday and the oldest will be fifteen in a few months" she said capturing his hand and holding it against her cheek, her eyes welling with tears as she thought of them, "I hope I get to see them again" she said sadly causing a tear to roll down her cheek.

He brushed the tear away with his thumb, "What happened to Willow?" he asked her softly then regretted the question when he saw pain flare in her eyes.

She stood up and sat back down on the couch, "A couple of years ago we had to fight off another apocalypse causing demon, we all went out to meet it while little sister stayed with the children" she swallowed past the lump that was forming and took a deep breath.

Letting it out slowly she continued, "We had a great plan to beat it and it would have worked but it turned out he was telepathic and he heard our plans. He made Wills spell backfire on her….she was dead before she hit the ground. We killed it eventually, a few of Willows witchy friends and a I kinda lost our shit in a rage over what happened and we attacked it without thinking…..There wasn't much left after I had finished with him" she said her voice barely above a whisper as tears rolled down her pale cheeks.

"Xander hasn't been himself since, he never laughs anymore and he drinks a lot and it's only because I have you and the kids I haven't joined him in his depression" she said wiping her tears away and looking up at him, "You can change that if you want, I wouldn't mind"

"But what if it changes something else?" he asked softly, resisting the urge to take her in his arms and ease her pain any way he could. Instead he bent to the floor and picked up the shards of the tea cup and dropped the broken pieces of china into the bin, bringing another one out of the cupboard as he restarted making the tea.

"It wouldn't, I found out after from a seer I know that she wasn't meant to die" understanding lit up in her eyes, "Is that why I was sent back here? But why here so far from when it happens?" she asked her forehead furrowing in confusion.

"I don't know Buffy, what is the last thing you remember before waking up here?" he asked rubbing his forehead as he leant against the sink. A headache was forming behind his eyes and the mental picture he was seeing wasn't helping.

"Being thrown through the air by a demon and getting hurt, badly" she said flippantly reaching for another biscuit.

"How badly?" he asked turning away from her as the kettle finished boiling, not wanting to imagine her hurt so soon after nearly losing her due to his own actions in blindly following the councils orders.

"Don't know, my head and side hurt and you kept yelling at me to keep my eyes open" he heard the lack of concern in her voice as she told him and he couldn't help a small smile, she was obviously secure in the knowledge that he would make sure she was alright.

"Was that the first time you were injured since Willow...died?" he asked hesitating on the last word.

"Yeah, we don't have to fight as much anymore thanks to what we did to defeat the First, we're more like consultants now" she said with a happy grin.

"Then that might be why you were sent back now but I still don't understand why you came back to this point in time. It would make much more sense to send you back closer to the time it happened" he said taking his glasses off and pinching the bridge of his nose feeling a headache coming on.

"We're happy, I know you were wondering about that" she said after a few minutes of silence as he thought about her current predicament, "There have been a few rough patches but we got through it"

"But I'm an old man, sixty five in your time, how can you be happy with me?" he asked his voice laced with insecurity and tinged with sorrow.

"Yeah about that...Cordy showed up and regressed your body back to the age you were when we first met. It happened after I had a miscarriage about five years ago, she said it was a gift from the Powers That Be for all we have done and sacrificed over the years and because we were fighting a particularly evil demon bent on destroying the world when I lost it" she said smiling sadly, "Your only ten years older than me now but still sixty five if that makes sense"

"So we can still, uh, that is, I can still…." he stumbled over the words as he pulled his glasses off and attacked them with his handkerchief, his face heating from the blush he was sure was spreading over his face.

She laughed cutting him off from his embarrassed mumbling, "You had no problems in the bedroom at all before she made you younger, we were still going at it every night just not more than twice anymore"

"Well that's a relief" he said blushing as he grinned rather smugly, putting his glasses back on. "How does Cordelia have the power to regress my body in age?"

"Oh, well she died, the year after we beat the First, so did Wes, Angel and Spike, big fight in LA when they pissed off some original demon power or something when they were bringing down an evil law firm" she said mournfully, "She works for the Powers now and we see her every now and then, she's the seer who told me about Will"

"So everyone we know now will die in the future and you're sure you don't want me to change anything?" he asked saddened by the news of more deaths that she had to deal with.

"And take away their accomplishments" she said frowning at him, "It's fate Rupert. Death is a part of life, more so when it comes to ours and the world we live in, you know this"

"Yes, yes, you're right of course you are, I just...I want to save you from feeling that pain, any kind of pain" he said earnestly, willing her to understand.

"But you do, don't you see….it's because I have you that I am who I am, that I can get up in the morning after losing my best friend and so many others, you keep me strong Rupert, now and in the future" she said leaning forward and gripping his hand.

He smiled gratefully at her, "It's going to be strange when you return and you start calling me Giles again" he said squeezing her hand.

"It was only because Thomas asked why I called you Giles that I started calling you Rupert anyway" she said with a little laugh as she remembered that day.

"Thomas?" he asked frowning at the use of his fathers name.

"Yeah Thomas Alexander Giles, our son. He was five when he asked about it, he had sat at the table watching us talk as we ate dinner and he just blurted it out, getting annoyed when we laughed, he doesn't like when we do that if he asks a question, or he didn't, he's not so bothered now"

Giles smiled at the picture she painted with her words, "You said we had two sons and a daughter"

"Elizabeth Joy and Oliver Edmund, both of them are a pain in the butt" she said with a laugh, "Tommy is like you, quiet and loves to read, but he's active as well, he's scary good at martial arts, they all are actually, you think they've inherited some of my Slayer abilities. We started to teach them when they were about five and they all took to it like a duck to water. But Lizzy and Olly are just active, always running about, climbing, getting into trouble at school, blunt and outspoken as well so they argue a lot, we're hoping they grow out of it" she said with a tilt of her head as she shrugged her shoulders.

"I must be glad of my new found youth then" he said smiling widely as he thought of his children running him in circles.

"Oh yeah in more ways than one" she said smirking as she wiggled her eyebrows at him.

Giles blushed and looked away, it was still strange to be sitting here talking about their children let alone their sex life when she was still only just eighteen.

"The Cruciamentum!" Giles exclaimed suddenly, "That's why you were sent back to now"

"Okay, be kind rewind" she said her eyebrows lowered in confusion.

"The drug that saps you of your strength has made you vulnerable which means that this is the only time in your history that it is possible for an event like this to take place" he said standing up and quickly walking out of his office leaving Buffy to follow behind him as he headed into the book cage.

"What the hell are you babbling about?" she asked heading to the cage. She turned as the library doors swung open, gasping in surprise when she saw Willow walking through them with Oz and Xander, "Hey guys, you done talking yet?" Xander asked as he sat at the study table.

Buffy could only stare at Willow as she stood in front of her, "Uh, Buff, do I have something on my face?" she asked uncomfortable with Buffys scrutiny.

"What? Oh no, you're good it's just I..." Buffy stopped talking and threw her arms around her, hugging her tightly, "I've missed you so much" she whispered in Willows ear when she felt her hug her back.

"You saw me last night" Willow said, "what's going on?" she asked when Buffy let her go.

"This is not the Buffy we know today" Giles said from behind them after clearing his throat.

"What do you mean this isn't the Buffy we know today? She looks the same" Xander said staring at Buffy intently.

"She, or rather her soul, is from twenty years in the future and has been sent back to prevent something from happening, as far as we have been able to determine thus far anyway" he said putting some books down on the study table in front of Xander.

"What are we supposed to prevent?" Willow asked looking between Buffy and Giles.

"We can't tell you" Buffy said quietly looking over at her sadly.

"Oh okay" Willow said as she sat in a chair next to Oz, "Are we all still together and fighting evil in Sunnydale?"

Buffy sat down next to Xander, "Don't ask for details 'cause I don't wanna tell you and fuck up the future"

"How can we help?" Oz asked and Buffy almost laughed in relief. It hadn't been long since she had seen him but he wasn't much different from how he was in her future, sadder since Will had died but you could see the wolf in him all the time now, the kids loved him.

"Unsurprisingly we need to research this phenomenon to find out when or if Buffy will return to her own timeline, are you three able to help?" Giles asked as he picked up a book from the pile.

"Yeah we have a free period now and then it's lunch" Xander said sitting up straighter in his chair, "You sure you can't tell us anything Buff, like am I rich and married to a beautiful woman in your future?"

"Quite sure Xander" Giles said before Buffy could reply, "If we change even the smallest thing it could have a detrimental effect on the timeline and who knows what Buffy would be going back to"

"Fair enough, where do we start?" he said reaching forward and taking a book from the pile in front of him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

They had researched through the lunch hour, Xander having left to bring them back some food, and then they had all returned to class, Buffy included.

She had felt strange seeing her old classmates, knowing that half of them would be dead in two years, even the teachers that had fallen to the evil that lurked in Sunnydale were there and she had to bite her tongue several times to stop herself warning them of their fate.

Once school had ended for the day and she had finished re-writing the notes Willow had taken in their morning classes she had returned to the library only to find Giles lost in his research, his hair mussed in a way that told her he was frustrated so she told him she was going home but would be back later for training as was their usual schedule at the time. He had nodded at her and grunted his agreement, flipping pages in several books before looking up at her in confusion until what she had said registered.

"Are you sure Buffy, won't it be upsetting to see your mother again after so long?" he asked her his concern evident in his expression. A warm glow filled her up and she kicked herself for not seeing how much he loved her sooner, who knows where they would be today if she had.

"Sure it will but if I remember right she won't be there until after dinner, something about a problem with a shipment at the gallery" she said with a shrug, "I just wanna walk around the house, see and touch some of the things I lost when the town collapsed"

"Alright, I will see you back here around seven then, hopefully I will have some answers for you" he said brushing his hand down her arm before turning back to his books.

She grinned at the gesture as she left the library, chuckling with glee when she realized that she had all of her experience from the last twenty years and he didn't, training was going to be fun even if she didn't have her strength right now.

She was still grinning when she walked through her front door and found her mother sitting in the kitchen. Her heartbeat sped up at the shock of seeing her for the first time in eighteen years and she squashed the urge to drag her to the hospital for a cat scan.

"Hey Mom, what's for dinner?" she asked dropping her bag on a stool before climbing onto the one next to it.

"Oh honey, I'm sorry but I have to go back to the gallery, a shipments missing some artifacts and I need to go and sort it all out" Joyce said packing some papers away in a folder.

"It's cool, I've got homework to do and then I'll be going back to the library for training and I'm still not a hundred percent so I'm not gonna be much company tonight anyway" Buffy said with a smile as she hopped down from the stool and opened the fridge.

"Ask Mr Giles to drive you home okay, I don't like to think what could happen if you get caught in the open by something" Joyce said hugging her. Buffy hugged her back tightly and inhaled her mothers scent, controlling the urge to cry as the familiar scent evoked a lot of memories for her, happy and painful ones.

"Will do" she said instead and waved goodbye to her mother as she left. Turning back to the fridge she grabbed the bottle of OJ and poured herself a glass.

"You and Giles made with the smoochies yet?" a voice behind her asked.

"Whistler? What are you doing here?" she asked when she saw the familiar face, "You nearly gave me a fucking heart attack" she said holding a hand to her chest.

"They told me to come and tell you that there's no need for any interference" he said cheerfully, "When you fall asleep tonight you should make the journey back"

"And if I don't? Is there a spell or something that can do it?" she asked leaning back against the sink.

"There is yes but it's not reliable which is why you only have twenty four hours" he said sitting on one of the stools.

"Why ask if Giles and I have made with the smoochies? Wouldn't it be weird for him when everything goes back to normal if we do?" she asked sitting opposite him.

"Well another reason they sent me is that with everything that you told him, he won't be able to resist changing some things or even stopping others from happening completely so they gave me this" he said reaching inside his jacket and removing a small vial of liquid, "Or rather they told me how to make it"

"What is it?" she asked taking it from him and looking at the clear liquid inside with curiosity.

"It's a potion that will make him forget everything that has happened and most of what you have said since you walked into the library this morning, the only thing he will remember is that you came from the future and the information about the demon that kills Willow" Whistler said taking off his hat and placing it on the table in front of him, "It's flavorless so just pour it into a drink or just give it to him straight from the vial and it will make him fall asleep, erasing the parts he shouldn't know or remember, leaving only what they want him to know"

"So if I was to tell him everything he wouldn't remember it tomorrow?" she asked putting the vial down in front of her.

"There is a way you can show him if you want" he said cocking his head as he looked at her.

"What is it?"

"Put your hands either side of his head and say 'Et videat omne praeteritum'. It basically means he sees all the past. Say it three times and then as you remember he will see it as if he was there with you"

"And this will make him forget, are you sure?" she asked pointing to the vial. She wanted him to know everything but was worried about leaving him to live with the knowledge of their future, what he would change to save her.

"Definitely" he said with a grin, "I gotta go, it was good seeing you when it isn't the end of the world"

"Whistler, what about the me now? Is she awake and confused right now in my future?" she asked him as he stood and put his hat back on his head.

"No, you're in a coma right now, that was a pretty bad head injury you got fighting that thing plus the big guys are keeping you asleep so this can happen. The wood pile you landed on splintered and a shard of it ripped through your back and through your stomach. You're fine though, the doctors managed to fix you up" he said with a reassuring smile, "Giles and the kids are fine too, worried about you of course, but fine"

"Thanks Whistler and thank them for me, for everything they've done for us, lately anyway" she said with a wry chuckle.

Whistler touched the brim of his hat and walked out the back door. Buffy reached over and took the phone from it's cradle to call Giles at the library.

"Hello" Giles answered sounding frustrated.

"It's me, you can stop researching" she said picking up the vial as she spoke, "I just had a visit from Whistler, that white hat demon who told me how to stop Acathla. He told me I'll be going back tonight after I fall asleep"

"So it will rectify itself?" he asked sounding relieved.

"Yeah that's what he said, why, did you find something?"

"A spell but I couldn't find anything to guarantee you would end up back where you started"

"That's what he said, that the spell was unreliable. Can I meet you at your place in an hour? There's something I want to show you"

"Of course, have you eaten? I could pick up dinner on my way back"

"That would be great, thanks" she said with a smile as she stood, putting the vial back on the table.

"I'll see you in an hour then" he said and she could hear his smile.

"See you" she said and hung up.

She ran up the stairs to shower and change into something a little more comfortable, a plan already forming in her mind.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:- See chapter 1.**

 **Rating:- This chapter is T for language.**

Chapter 3

She showered again and carefully blow dried her hair so it fell in soft waves around her face and onto her shoulders. Changing into her burgundy dress and black pumps she applied her make up and reached for her purse, heading to the kitchen for the vial before calling a cab to take her to Giles' place.

She was eager to see it again after all this time, it held so many memories for her, good and bad but it was still a part of her that was lost to the past. It wasn't like they could come back and visit the actual places that held so many memories for them but once a year, on the anniversary they had defeated the First, they came to the edge of the crater, threw flowers into the pit and remembered the friends and family they had lost.

She was shaken from her reverie by the cab honking it's horn outside. She took her coat from the rack by the door and checked her make up one last time before leaving the house and climbing in the back. She gave the driver Rupert's address and sat back as he pulled away from the curb, going back to her memories to pass the time.

They were planning on bringing the children when they were old enough, planning on telling them everything past the bad-guys-exist-and-we-fight-them speech they had already given them. Thomas had already discovered the truth by sneaking into their study and breaking open the cabinet that held all of Rupert's and her diaries when he was thirteen.

She had come home early and discovered him crying over them and, not having the heart to yell at him for doing it, she had held him and told him that he was safe, that he and his brother and sister were all that mattered to them now and that nothing would ever hurt them.

Thanks to the army of Slayers in the world it was safer now and Buffy enjoyed her life raising her children, going to parents evenings and martial arts tournaments and football games on a cold Sunday morning to cheer on her daughter as she played not to mention the cocktail parties and board dinners they had to attend a few times a year.

At first she was restless without the constant patrols and fighting for her life but Rupert had stepped in with a new training regime and encouraged her to train the new Slayers to burn off some of her restlessness. He also encouraged her to write her own diaries, there were at least fifty of them, detailing her life as the Slayer from the day she had been called until the day she had hung up her stake. Mr Pointy had been encased in a box frame and hung on their bedroom wall for twelve years now and everyday she saw it she thought of Kendra and all of the Slayers they had lost since they had defeated the First.

Faith had retired herself six years ago after defending the Hellmouth for ten years, leaving it in the capable hands of Sophie, the girl she had trained not to mention the twenty five other Slayers who had decided to make the Cleveland Hellmouth their home. She was a lot more mellower then she was when she first started but being a mother did that to you. Her and Robins little girl was five and was the sweetest little thing, always smiling and Faith had turned out to be an excellent mother.

Smiling to herself as she paid the cab driver she walked to Rupert's front door seeing her childrens faces smiling at her over the years, the life she had lived was as close to normal as she as ever going to get and she couldn't wait to show him her memories of it.

She knocked on the door and he answered with a smile, she walked in taking her coat off and handing it to him when he had shut the door. Before he could say or do anything she was kissing him, softly at first just testing the waters but when he gripped her waist and pulled her flush against him the kiss became more passionate. She had an unfair advantage over him and used it shamelessly as she explored his mouth with her tongue, touching him in the paces she knew would drive him crazy.

Gasping, he pushed her back, "Buffy we shouldn't do this" he said as his hands moved unconsciously to her shoulders and into her hair.

"Sorry," she said licking her lips and looking up at him, "I've wanted to do that since I saw you this morning, we were interrupted by the phone call about that demon in the future"

"Where were the children?" he asked looking at her with a hunger that she herself felt.

"At Dawns" she said moving away from him, he was right they shouldn't continue, it wasn't fair to her eighteen year old self to wake up in the morning feeling thoroughly fucked and not knowing how she got that way or fearing that she had unleashed Angelus again.

"And who is Dawn?" he asked her as he moved to the couch and sat, watching her as she wandered around the room.

"My sister, the one who used to be a glowing ball of energy until the monks made her human and sent her to me for protection" she stated as she ran her fingers over the bookcases and his desk, "I really miss this place ya know"

"I've always gotten the impression you didn't like it much" he said with a wry grin.

She looked at him, her mouth pulled up in an almost sad smile, "I was always safe here, I felt loved here. Nobody ever attacked me here"

Giles blinked in surprise and realized the truth of her words. This is where she came when she was hurt, physically or emotionally, or when she needed help "Well, I do try"

"You succeed" she said moving over to his albums and bending down to flick through them, "You still have all of these by the way" she said standing with one in her hands.

He saw that it was Disraeli Gears, a Cream album and watched as she lifted the needle and put the record on the turntable. She dropped the needle at a certain point and started it up. The opening chords of Sunshine of Your Love filled the air and he looked at her in surprise.

"It's the song you played when you proposed to me" she said pulling him to his feet and wrapping her arms around his waist, "It was about three months after we had defeated the first and we were busy rebuilding the council. I had told you I was pregnant with Thomas the day before and I had come home to your mini mansion in Bath, from your estate in Clevedon which we had turned into an Academy, to find the living room filled with candles and roses of every colour, this song playing in the background and you standing in the middle of the room surrounded by light" she said against his chest as they began to move to the music.

"Sounds like I went all out" he said and she could hear the smile in his voice.

"Do you want to see? Whistler told me about a way that you can see it all, if that's what you want" she asked him lifting her head and looking up at him, waiting as he thought about it.

"I would like that yes. Will you show me all of it?" he asked, his curiosity having already been peaked by her earlier descriptions of the future.

She withdrew from his arms and made him sit back on the couch, "If that's what you want then yes" she said as she walked around behind him. She placed her hands on his head and repeated the words Whistler had told her then sat down next to him as she brought up her memories, showing him everything from the Sisters of Jhe they would face next week right up until the moment she had lost consciousness laying on that log pile.

They sat there for a long time, the silence between them punctuated by the occasional laugh, gasp or sob from Giles as he watched their future play out. When he saw the moment he proposed, he reached for her hand and brought it to his lips, holding onto it tightly as she skipped forward to the day they were married. She showed him the births of Thomas, Elizabeth and Oliver, the laughter they shared, the holidays spent together, the tears when Lizzy fell out of a tree and broke her arm, the days Rupert taught them to ride their bikes and she showed them their abilities with magic, all three children having inherited his power and he saw Willow teaching them control and balance under his watchful eye.

She showed him the battle that had claimed Willows life, crying with him when she relived it all again, cringing when she remembered the pain and anger that had overtaken her and what she had done as a result of it.

When she was done he pulled her into his arms and held her tightly, "Thank you for showing me" he whispered against her neck, "I'm sorry for everything I did that hurt you"

"It's okay, it was a long time ago for me and I forgave you for all of it" she said squeezing him back.

He pulled back and wiped his eyes, sniffing slightly as he stood, "Let me get the dinner ready" he said as the album finished playing.

She stood and removed it from the turntable, carefully putting it back into it's sleeve before returning it to it's case. When she turned around she saw that Giles had just placed two plates of spaghetti carbonara on the table along with a glass of wine for himself and a water for her.

"That looks good" she said as she sat down next to him, smiling her thanks when he handed her some cutlery.

As they ate Rupert asked questions about the demons they would face and how they defeated them, he asked about the children and about Xander and Willow and about the scythe she had used to activate all of the Slayers. She answered every single one of his questions, holding back nothing, as the sun began to set.

"I should go" she said as he cleared away the remnants of the tiramisu he had bought for dessert.

"You still have time" he said coming back around the alcove with two cups of tea in his hands.

"Not that much time" she said sadly. She stood and walked over to his desk where she had left her purse and removed the vial of potion that Whistler had given her. She placed it on the table between them as she sat down, "You need to drink this" she said softly.

"What is it?" he asked picking it up and looking at it closely.

"Whistler said it would make you forget everything I have shown you, told you and done with you since you saw me this morning" she said fiddling with the handle of her cup, "He said the Powers told him you were going to change some things, stop others, I knew you would" she said with an affectionate smile.

"But I don't want to forget anything, especially us" he said putting the vial down and looking at her stubbornly.

She laughed at him, reminding her so strongly of Thomas in that moment she reached out her hand and cupped his cheek, "You will get to live it. The future, our future, will still be there waiting for you"

"But only if I take this, am I right?" he asked picking the vial back up.

"You will change things otherwise and the future could be very different" she said taking it from him and removing the cork, "You will remember about the demon that kills Will but not why you remember him so you're not burdened by the knowledge of her death"

"So when the time comes I will know that he is telepathic and that will save her life" he said looking at the vial in her hand with trepidation.

"Yes. I'm sorry it has to be this way but it does" she said holding it out for him, "Please Rupert, for me"

Sighing he took the vial from her and brought it to his lips, stopping before he tipped it into his mouth, he put it down and leaned forward, kissing her softly as he ran his fingers through her hair, gripping the back of her neck tightly as if he could hold her there forever "I don't want to forget this" he whispered against her lips smiling when she chuckled and pulled back.

"Don't worry love, when I get back and I'm all healed I'll give you something you're never going to forget" she said suggestively, brushing her thumb over his bottom lip.

His eyes widened and he laughed, "Now that I think I will remember" he said letting her go and lifting the vial to his lips once more.

Once he had drunk it she said he should go to bed, "Whistler said you would fall asleep and it would work while you slept"

"What will you do now? You still don't have your strength so it isn't safe for you to be out after dark" he said yawning as he stood.

She followed him up the stairs and helped him remove his shoes as the potion began to take effect, "Don't worry about me, I have twenty years experience and we trained for this, you gave me the drug again and we worked on my reflexes and strength while I was a mere human" she said as she tugged his trousers down his legs.

"I swore I would never do that to you again" he mumbled as he shrugged off his shirt.

"Ssh, it's okay, I asked you to do it love" she whispered as she lay next to him on the bed, stroking the hair from his face, her thumb moving back and forth over his temple as he slowly started to drift off, "I love you Rupert" she whispered against his forehead then kissed him before slipping from his arms and walking downstairs.

She worked for the next ten minutes, washing the dishes and putting them away, taking the garbage bag from his trash can and putting it by the front door, effectively erasing her presence from the place before she left, looking over her shoulder sadly as she pulled the door shut and locked it behind her.

She put the trash bag in one of those giant bins used by restaurants as she made her way home and tried not to cry. She knew she was being ridiculous, that this wasn't goodbye, more of a see you soon, but it still hurt that he had to forget everything that he had seen of their life together.

As she turned the corner and walked along Revello drive she was surprised to see Angel standing under the tree outside of her house waiting for her.

 _Fuck,_ she thought, _I forgot he showed up today_

"Hey" she said when she was on the sidewalk in front of the house.

"Buffy, where were you?" he asked bringing his hand up to cup her cheek, "You've been crying"

"I was with Giles, we had things to talk about" she said pulling away from him.

"About the Cruciamentum?" he asked her looking slightly wounded when she pulled back.

"No, other stuff. Look I'm really tired and I'm still not back to my Slayer goodness so can we talk tomorrow please" she said taking his hand to try and appease his hurt.

"You seem different" he said looking at her closely, "Older somehow"

"That's not really a surprise considering what I've been through" she said forcing herself to laugh. It hurt seeing him, knowing how he died and not being able to warn him to stay away from Wolfram and Hart.

"No, that's not it, not entirely" he said still staring at her, his eyes narrowed as he tried to pin down what he was seeing. And then it hit him, she wasn't his Buffy, "Who are you? What have you done with Buffy?" he asked slipping into his vampire visage as he moved closer.

"Oh for fuck sake Angel, I am Buffy just the one from twenty years in the future. Something bad happened and I was sent back to change it, happy now" she said pulling her hand from his grasp and shoving him backwards.

"And that's what you were talking to Giles about?" he asked calming down, his shock at her revelation causing his face to revert to normal. He caught the scent of Giles mixed with hers and he stepped back, looking her up and down, realising for the first time that she was dressed up, "Did you and Giles..."

"No, we held each other as we cried after I showed him our future but he won't remember any of it so please don't tell him, please, he can't know" she pleaded grasping his hands and turning her pleading eyes up to his.

"I won't tell him" he said accepting that whatever she wasn't telling him was for a good reason.

She closed her eyes in relief and her body sagged as she let go of his hands, "Thank you, now I really have to get some sleep, I'll be going back to my time soon and you'll get your Buffy back" she said with a grateful smile.

"You're not still my Buffy then" he said with resignation.

She shook her head sadly, "Not for a long time Angel but we stayed friends"

"Somehow that's comforting" he said with a small chuckle, "I'll leave you alone then" he said kissing her cheek as he walked past her out into the night.

She watched him walking away before turning and heading into the house, "Mom?" she called out as she shut the door and hung her coat up.

There was no answer so she walked through the house, smiling sadly at the things that she had lost to the crater. Gently brushing her fingers over photo frames and ornaments she made a quick decision to let herself know to pack it all up, the only problem was how to do it so that she would only discover it when it was necessary.

She searched her memories and came up with a time that she pulled out her diary from the year she first came to Sunnydale, to remember a time when she wasn't so tired all of the time, when she was still innocent, not long after the potentials started showing up and the shit started hitting the fan.

She ran up the stairs to her room and rushed to the chest of drawers, kneeling down she pulled out the bottom drawer and reached inside for her diaries, quickly shuffling through them until she found the one she was looking for. She sat back on the floor after grabbing the pen from the current diary and wrote herself a note on the last page,

 _Buffy,_

 _It's you from the future, don't be a stubborn bitch and just accept it. Remember the day you can't remember and Giles told you I came back with a message about a demon, well that's the day I'm writing this knowing you'd be looking in this journal._

 _There, you know I'm telling the truth. Now pack up all of the photos and things you can't bare to lose, things like your journals and Dawns things, Mr Gordo and anything of Mom's, then ask Giles to send it to his house in Bath._

 _Trust me, you'll regret it if you don't._

She shut the journal and returned the pen to its place in the current journal before putting everything back as she found it. She pulled her pajamas out from the drawer and changed into them, hanging her dress back in the wardrobe as she made her way to the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth.

She was starting to feel really tired, every step felt like she was walking through quicksand, pulling her deeper and deeper into the sweetness of sleep. She knew that this was a sign her time here was running out and a big part of her was eager to return to her Giles and the children, knowing they must be beside themselves with worry after what Whistler had told her of her condition. But a smaller part wanted to stay, to see her Mom again, to try and do things differently and maybe even tell Giles how she felt a lot sooner.

She rinsed her mouth out and dried her face on the hand towel before trudging back to her room and climbing into her bed. She was asleep before she could form the thoughts that usually kept her awake long into the night.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:- See first chapter.**

 **Rating:- This chapter T for language and suggestive content.**

Chapter 4

She slowly came back to the world to the sound of a machine beeping nearby and a heavy weight on her shoulder, new memories of Willow being with them at the farm and others that weren't there before crowding her brain. She took a deep breath and tried to control the emotions that were bubbling to the surface, pain flaring up in her chest when she couldn't. The pain of losing her mother, dampened by time and acceptance, came back as fresh as the day it happened and the machine started to go crazy. She opened her eyes and saw Giles, his hand on her chest and his head on her shoulder, moving her arm his head shot up and he blinked sleepily at her before he realized she was awake.

"Buffy, ssh it's okay" he said seeing the panic in her eyes as she stared up at him, breathing in small pants. He pulled her hands from the oxygen tube at her nose so she didn't pull it off then leant over and pushed the call button repeatedly, "Calm down love, you're okay" he said the relief he felt evident in his smile as he brushed her hair away from her face.

Not long after the nurses came rushing in and Giles had to move out of the way as they sat her up and checked her over, instructing her to take small shallow breaths, bigger each time until she had calmed down and was breathing normally.

"She's seems to be doing fine but the doctor will be in to check her over and see how she's doing himself when it's time for rounds" the nurse said to Giles as they all left.

"Thank you" he said with a grateful smile and was at Buffys bedside before she had left the room, wiping away her tears as he sat on the bed next to her, bending his head and kissing her as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, holding onto him like a lifeline.

"How long?" she croaked, coughing slightly, "Shit. Can I have some water?"

"Two very long weeks my love" he said in a strained voice as he handed her a cup of water, "Sip it, slowly"

She did as he said and closed her eyes in relief as the cold water helped quench her dry mouth and throat, "Wow, Whistler was right that was some bump on the head" she said, her voice weak with lack of use, giving him a tired smile, "How're the kids doing? And thank you, you stopped it from happening"

"They're fine, worried about you. Tommy has been in everyday after school and all day on the weekends, Lizzy and Olly have been by everyday after school with Willow or Dawn. And yes I did and I seem to remember you promising me something I'd never forget once you were awake and healed" he said with a sly grin.

"But you took the potion, you shouldn't remember anything else!" she said her eyes wide with shock.

"Yeah about that, when I went to the coven with Willow they told me I had had my memories tampered with and performed a spell to show me the truth. It was quite enlightening" he was smiling at her as she opened and closed her mouth, wondering what in the hell he had changed.

She searched her memories and found the day that Robin had tried to kill Spike while he had kept her occupied except it was different now. Rupert had told her of Robins plan and helped her stop him, arriving just as Robin had started to play that old folk song Spikes mother used to sing to him and they had worked together to keep him off of Robin as he worked through the memory and shook the Firsts control over him.

And then there was the day she was kicked out of the house, again that wasn't there anymore, instead Giles had stood right behind her and defended her against the attacks from the potentials telling them that until they had lived the life that Buffy and Faith had, they had no right to judge her or Faiths actions. He told them that a few months of experiencing attacks on a weekly basis did not give them the right to judge her decisions or her actions and then he had torn into Willow, Xander and Anya reminding them that it was their fault that they were in their current situation by bringing Buffy back. She had still gone to the vineyard on her own, conceding that they didn't need to risk their lives on a hunch and Rupert had let her, she remembered being surprised he had but now it made sense.

She also remembered finding her note and packing up their treasured possessions, asking him to mail it to his house and being surprised when he didn't question it, "Of all the things you could have changed you only changed those" she said amused at the total lack of guilt on his face, his green eyes twinkling with amusement.

"I didn't see the harm in changing those things as they only had a detrimental affect on our relationship and not the world at large" he said with grin which slid from his face as he looked away from her, "nothing else changed, we still lost Anya and we still lost the baby. I couldn't stop them from happening"

"As long as I still have you and the kids and Willows fine that's all that matters" she said brushing the back of her fingers over his cheek, her voice stronger now, "So, am I all healed up and ready to go? Did I lose anything?"

"You're completely healed and no, you didn't lose anything, the doctor managed to repair your kidney and your intestines. You just wouldn't wake up" he said his eyebrows lowering in confusion.

"You can blame the powers for that" she said pushing herself up a little more on the bed so she was sitting up, "And you know why now" she said with a reproachful look that made him grin again.

"But you were only there for one day, why were you kept in a coma for two weeks?"

"Maybe the bash to the head did more damage than they thought or maybe it was the stress of soul jumping twenty years, I don't know. The why is more your area of expertise I just hit things" she said laughing at his eye roll.

"Mum?"

Her head spun to the door and her body relaxed at the sight of her eldest son, his arm around his little sisters shoulders, "Tommy, Lizzy" she said smiling wildly with tears in her eyes as she held her arms out for them, Giles moving away from the bed his own smile growing as he saw the happiness in his childrens faces when they saw their mother awake. It had been hard for them to see her like that, so still with machines beeping around her, they weren't used to seeing their mother hurt which he was grateful for.

They rushed into the room and threw their arms around their mother, Lizzy crying happily while Thomas was manfully trying to hide it. Buffy kissed her daughters blonde head and then her sons brown one before pushing them back slightly and looking at their happy faces. Lizzy so much like her but with her fathers eyes and Tommy, so much like his father but with her chameleon eyes, clear azure blue right now and shining with unshed tears.

"Mum, you're awake" she heard Olly say from the doorway and Tommy and Lizzy moved back to give their little brother the chance to hug their mother, Lizzy going to Rupert and hugging his waist as he put an arm around her shoulders and Tommy faced the wall wiping his eyes. Olly ran into the room and jumped onto the bed crawling into her lap as he cried unashamedly into her neck.

"Ssh baby, I'm okay" she said rubbing his back.

"I told you she would be fine didn't I" Willow said from the doorway.

"Willow" Buffy said with relief and her own tears, which she had held in check for the sake of the kids, came flowing out of her at the sight of her old friend.

Olly got off the bed and joined his father and sister as Willow rushed to her bedside, sitting on the edge she pulled her into a hug, "I've missed you so fucking much" Buffy whispered into her neck as she hugged her best friend.

"Giles told me what happened, it's okay" Willow whispered back before pushing her away and smiling kindly at her, "We'll talk later when we don't have an audience"

"Are you okay Mum?" Tommy asked looking at her worriedly. They never saw their mother cry and it scared him a little.

"Yes Tommy, I'm fine don't worry" she said wiping her eyes and taking his hand, giving it a squeeze, "If I've been out for a fortnight that means I've missed some things haven't I" she said looking around at her children, "How did your game go Lizzy? Did you score a goal?"

"We won five nil and I scored two of them" Lizzy said with a proud grin and Giles rubbed her arm.

"She was brilliant, all over the pitch, yelling at the others to get into place for the free kicks, I'm glad that idiot manager made her the captain" Giles said smiling down at his daughter proudly.

"Dad stop calling Jeff an idiot, it isn't nice" Lizzy said, then she smiled cheekily at her Mum, "even if it is true"

Buffy laughed, "Well done Lizzy, I'll be at the next match to cheer you on" she said reaching over and cupping her cheek with a smile, "What about you Olly? Did you get a new belt?"

"I'm a green belt now, Sensei said I was too good for the orange so I skipped it" he said thrusting out his chest and smiling proudly.

"That's brilliant, well done, you're catching up to Lizzy now" Buffy said giving him a hug.

"Yeah but not for long squirt" Lizzy teased sticking out her tongue at him.

"Don't start you two" Giles said wearily rolling his eyes making Buffy giggle behind her hand.

She looked up at Thomas and saw him looking at the floor, "Tommy?"

He looked up at her and grinned, "Black belt first dan and I passed my end of year exams with flying colors" he said with a grin, "and I have a date for next weekend. Her names Melissa, I'm taking her to the fair" he blushed at Buffys grin and looked back at the floor.

"First, I meet her" she said seriously and his head shot up a very alarmed look on his face.

"But Dad already met her, why do you have to as well" he whined.

"You know why" she said looking at him sternly and he huffed out a sigh in defeat.

"Yeah okay" he said sullenly as only a teenager could and Buffy had to avoid Willows gaze or they would both start laughing which wouldn't be good right now.

They all chatted happily for the next hour, Olly and Lizzy sitting back on the bed wanting to be near their Mum, catching her up on everything that had happened over the last two weeks. Tommy and Giles had left to get her some food and she was expecting a McDonalds but when they returned they had brought her a jacket potato with tuna and sweetcorn, a salad and a piece of her favorite chocolate cake which she ate as they talked.

"Right okay you three, you've seen your Mom, now it's time I get you home" Willow said getting up from the chair by Buffys bed, "Aunt Dawn will have your dinner ready by the time we get back and I know at least one of you has homework to finish" she said fixing Olly with a stern gaze.

"But Aunty Willow, tomorrows Saturday, can't I do it then? I wanna watch a movie my friend Jack told me about" Daniel whined, pouting at her with wide innocent eyes. He was a carbon copy of Buffy right down to the pout and the leap first ask later attitude that had given her a new understanding of the sleepless nights she must have given her mother.

Buffy smirked at Willow then averted her eyes again to prevent more laughter. She had really missed this part.

"Well if you get it done tonight then you have all weekend to watch the movie don't you" Giles said turning his stern gaze on his youngest son who sighed and nodded his head.

"Give me a kiss before you go" Buffy said holding her arms out for him and laughing at his expression.

"I'm too old for kisses Mum, I am eleven now" he said seriously and Buffy schooled her expression into one of apology.

"You're right I'm sorry, can I at least have a hug"

He rushed over and threw his arms around her, hugging her hard. Before he let go, he gave her a kiss on the cheek and jumped down, running out of the room.

"Freak" Lizzy called after him as she hugged Buffy.

"Lizzy" Buffy reprimanded her.

"Well he is" she said back completely unrepentant.

"Come on Lizzy, let's find your brother before he gets to the parking lot" Willow said linking arms with her and pulling her from the room.

"She's not a vampire Mum, I met her during the day" Thomas said as soon as they were out of earshot.

"Not all evil hides in the shadows, you know that son and your Mum is the best one to be able to tell if she is a demon or not" Giles said sitting back on the bed next Buffy and taking her hand.

"It's better to find out now before you really fall for her, trust me" Buffy said ignoring Rupert's grunt.

"And you know 'cause of Angel and Uncle Xander with Miss French and Anya and that girl from the coffee shop right, you've all done it so why can't I learn about it the hard way like you did?" Thomas asked defensively.

"Because the hard way nearly killed us that's why. Do you think that we want anything bad to happen to you?" she snapped at him.

"How does he know about all of that?" Rupert asked her suspiciously.

"I read all of your diaries, yours and Mums" Thomas said looking at the floor with his hands shoved in his pockets.

"You never told me that!" Giles said annoyed that she had kept that information from him.

"I did! I told you I came home to find him reading and that he knew all about the vampires and demons and hell gods that were lurking out there in the world" she said scowling at him.

"I didn't think you meant that he was reading our diaries" he said with a frown, "I thought you meant he was reading about it on the internet"

She rolled her eyes at him, "You know full well he can't 'cause Willow and Andrew got their geek on and designed that program that flags any credible article or post or picture that comes up about demons and whatever and erases it completely"

Thomas just stood there watching them argue and hoping that they would forget about Melissa in the process. This was as bad as it got between his parents, they loved each other so much that they still stole kisses from each other at every opportunity, Dad still surprised her with flowers or little gifts every now and then and they still went away for romantic weekends every chance they got and they had been married for sixteen years now.

"No arguments Tommy, I meet her and until then just be careful okay" Buffy said after Giles had finally caved and apologized for his misunderstanding.

"Okay Mum, I will" he said leaning over and giving her a hug, "I'll see you tomorrow"

"Hopefully I'll be home tomorrow so wait for your Dad to call before you leave" she said rubbing his back.

"Will do, see you later Dad, you can sleep at home now" he said smiling at his fathers look of relief.

"Not without your mother" he said shaking his head.

"Like hell" Buffy said frowning at Giles, "He'll be home tonight, don't worry" and she laughed at Tommys chuckle.

"Looks like you've been told Dad" he said with a wide smile his eyes dancing merrily at his fathers eye roll.

"Yes it does doesn't it" Giles said smiling lovingly at Buffy before leaning in for a kiss.

"Okay, eew, I'm gone" Tommy said and rushed out the door missing his parents joint laughter.

"You will go home tonight love" she said once he pulled back.

"No. I meant it, not without you" he said shaking his head, "I only left to go to the kids events because you would have killed me if I didn't"

"The doctor might let me go home tonight anyway so this is a pointless argument especially seeing as I always win. You might as well just say 'yes dear' and get it over with" she said with a cocky grin.

He rolled his eyes but stubbornly refused to agree with her, "I'm not sleeping in our bed without you, it doesn't feel right"

"You know, you blame me for their stubbornness but you're just as bad as I am" she said giving his shoulder a playful shove and nearly knocking him onto the floor.

"That may be true but I'm not leaving you" he said taking her hand in his, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles and leaning forward to kiss her forehead.

"You need to be well rested for when I get out of here Rupert" she said trailing a finger down his chest and circling his nipple through his shirt before moving down his stomach, looking up at him coyly. "I mean you are an old man after all, I don't want you crapping out on me because you're too tired" her hand coming to a stop at the top of his thigh.

"Oi, less of the old, you're not exactly a spring chicken yourself" he growled as his hand tightened on hers, his other hand moving from her knee up her thigh above the blanket.

"But I'm still the Slayer, super stamina remember" she said with a smile when he gulped as she scraped a nail up the inside of his thigh, "Just think of all the time I could spend touching, kissing and tasting before I'm completely worn out" she purred in his ear then slowly trailed the tip of her tongue up his neck to his ear, pulling his ear lobe between her teeth and nibbling it gently making him growl.

He pulled back when the doctor arrived and carefully sat on the chair next to her bed, surreptitiously rearranging his groin so the effect Buffy had had on him wasn't obvious and caught her grinning at him in triumph.

"So Mrs Giles, I think we'll keep you in…." the doctor started only to be interrupted by Buffy.

"No please, let me go home. I'm fine, really, I just want to sleep in my own bed and have a shower and spend time with my children" she pleaded with the doctor.

"Judging by your results there is nothing actually wrong with you and you are healed but I would like to keep you in and monitor you to make sure there are no setbacks, just for forty eight hours though" he said seriously, flicking through her chart.

"Come on Heath! I have Rupert and my children to keep an eye on me" she said turning her pleading gaze on him and Giles gave him thirty seconds before he gave in and sent her home, "Plus my best friends and my sister will probably be bugging the crap outta me for the next few weeks to make sure I'm okay so here or there I'm still being monitored"

"Well when you put it that way…." he said tilting his head to the side as he considered giving in.

 _Okay maybe twenty seconds_ Rupert thought successfully hiding his smug grin, it took him thirty seconds to cave when she wanted something, _Maybe I've built up a tolerance_.

"Okay, I'll organize your discharge as long as you promise to rest" the doctor said glaring at her sternly, "And by rest I mean feet up, let people wait on you hand and foot and no stress of any kind. Being a Slayer means you heal quickly but you're not immortal and not immune to the problems us mere mortals are prone to"

"Deal" she said clapping happily.

"I have no idea how you didn't lose the baby when you were hurt but I want to make sure it stays in there until it's ready to come out" he said with a smile.

Buffys jaw dropped and she looked at Giles in shock, seeing the exact same expression on his face. She closed her mouth and swallowed, blinking rapidly she shook her head and looked back at the doctor who was now smiling brightly.

"You didn't know you were pregnant? You're three months along so that is a surprise" he said happily.

"Ya think" Buffy said sarcastically then smacked Rupert on the arm.

"Ow, what was that for?" he whined, smiling widely at her.

"You and your super sperm knocked me up again, asshole" she said unable to keep up the pretense of being annoyed with him and laughed, "We're having another baby" she crowed happily.

Giles lifted himself back onto the bed and kissed her, avoiding the deep kisses until she had brushed her teeth, laughing happily as she hugged him tightly, "So can I take her home then Heath?" he asked the doctor.

"Fine, you can go home, just behave for a few days" he said knowingly. These two were legends in the Watchers Council, before and after it's destruction. The fact that they had known each other for twenty three years and were not only still together but happily married after everything they had been through was a miracle.

"Spoil sport" Buffy grumbled at him. Then she made to get up out of the bed only to be held down by Giles, "I wanna get up and put some clothes on" she said looking at him in confusion.

"And I want you to but you only have a hospital gown on and it's only done up at the top" he said his gaze flicking to the doctor, "Could you maybe get started on her discharge now Heath so I can get her dressed"

"Oh, uh, of course, I'll send a nurse in with your discharge papers" he said grinning at them before leaving the room.

"Never thought you'd be willing to put clothes on me" she said with a smirk as he huffed at her.

"Don't get used to it, I'm going to take you away next weekend and keep you naked the entire time" he said standing and walking over to the bag that was in the corner of the room. He picked it up and put it on the bed as Buffy removed all of the monitor leads and the port in her hand chuckling as she grumbled about needles.

He shut the door and made sure the blinds were closed as she stood and removed the hospital gown, his eyes straying to her breasts before moving down to the dressing on her side as she pulled it off on one side to look at her injury.

"S'not so bad" she said looking down at the ragged pink scar that would nothing more than a faint line in a week, "Could have been worse I suppose" she said putting the dressing back and walking over to him holding her hands out for her clothes.

He handed her a tank top and a pair of sweats along with her underwear and watched as she gave back the underwear and pulled on the rest of her clothes, "Don't you want the underwear love?" he asked controlling the urge to tear off her clothes and make her stay naked for a while longer.

"No point, I'm getting in the bath when I get home and not moving for a while" she said pulling her hair up in a ponytail and securing it with a hair tie that she found in the pocket of the sweats.

"Is there room for me in that bath?" he asked pulling her to him, resting his hands on her backside as she pushed her hands up his chest and around his neck.

"Always" she purred kissing his chin.

"Let's go to a hotel tonight" he said raising his hands to her back and pulling her against his chest, "I don't want to share you just yet"

"But Heath said that we had to behave for a few days" she pouted her eyes dancing with mischief.

"Fuck him" he growled, his hands traveling slowly down her back and squeezing her rear.

"Well if you want but what will I do while you're busy with him?" she asked innocently.

He laughed loudly and pushed her back, bending his head slightly to look into her eyes, "I love you"

"I love you too" she said kissing his cheek and pulling out of his arms, "Go hurry Heath up while I use the bathroom and phone Dawn to let her know we'll be home tonight"

"What about the hotel?"

"Next weekend love that way you can surprise me like you did when I fell pregnant with the other four and I can surprise you with what I promised" she said with a wink as she turned into the small bathroom in the room.

"And what is it that you think will be so unforgettable?" he asked her, moving over to the cupboard next to her bed and picking up the cards and photos that had been placed there during her stay, putting them into her bag.

She stuck her head around the door, smirking at him, "Think fifty shades if Ripper was in charge" she said in a low seductive voice and his heart rate picked up at the thought of it.

"Oh alright" he said with a smirk and went off in search of Heath to brow beat him into hurrying up her discharge. The quicker he got her home then the quicker he could arrange a weekend away and he was looking forward to it even more now.

Half an hour later she was sat in the passenger seat of his car on her way home. She sat with her head back against the head rest and her hand in his as she watched the scenery go by, thankful that the powers had let her keep her memories of her time in the past and had allowed the message she had left to stay as it meant she had a surprise for Rupert when she got home. Something her new memories confirmed that she hadn't shown him yet as it hadn't existed until she had told her younger self to pack up her belongings.

She had kept a journal that was a record of her thoughts about him, including the very steamy dreams she used to have. But the thing that was filling her with a nervous excitement was a letter her mother had written him when Buffy had told her how she felt about him.

A letter that she wasn't supposed to give him until they got married. She smiled to herself as they pulled up the lane to the house, _Fifteen years too late but never mind, she said it wasn't a bad letter_ she thought to herself as they pulled up the drive and she saw the house.

Light spilling from every window and the sounds of Lizzy and Olly shouting at each other over the noise of Tommy's video game spilling out into the night.

"You sure you don't want to go to a hotel?" Giles asked her, lifting her hand to his lips.

"Positive, there's no place like home" she replied smiling happily up at the house, laughing when she saw Olly's head appear in the front window, "Besides they know we're here now, no chance to run for it"

Laughing he opened his door just as the front door burst open and Olly burst through it, Dawn, Lizzy and Willow following close behind him with Xander and Tommy bringing up the rear.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:- See first chapter.**

 **Rating:- This chapter is M. Bet you wondered when it would show up :)**

Chapter 5

Buffy was bundled through the front door with everyone talking at once. Xander though was unusually quiet as he kept looking at Buffy out of the corner of his eye. She caught Giles' eye and indicated that she wanted to talk to Xander.

"Right that's enough" he said loudly and everyone stopped talking, "Give your Mum a chance to breath for a bit she's not going anywhere"

"But what if she gets hurt again?" Olly asked moving closer to Buffy and gripping her arm with both of his hands.

"Oh sweetie," Buffy said kneeling down in front of him, "that's not gonna happen anytime soon okay" she said brushing his hair away from his forehead.

"How do you know?" he asked quietly, his head down.

"Because I'm having another baby and I can stay home now unless it's _really_ important that I have to go" she said with a smile when his head shot up and he stared at her with wonder.

"Eew, you and Dad are still doing it! That's gross!" Lizzy said screwing her face up in disgust.

Dawn and Willow laughed at Lizzy's reaction while Giles just shook his head with a grin on his face.

"I'm gonna be a big brother?" Olly asked with a smile.

"Yes you are sweetie" Buffy said with a chuckle and giving him a hug.

"Jeeze Buff, haven't you guys heard of protection?" Xander asked with a grin on his face as he slapped Giles on the back.

"Why yes Xander we have, if we hadn't we'd need a bigger house" Buffy said back answering his grin as she looked lovingly at Giles.

"That's it I'm going to my room before I need a therapist" Lizzy said jumping to her feet and walking out into the hallway.

"I think we've traumatized our daughter dear" Giles said conversationally as they heard her footsteps on the stairs.

"Ya think" Dawn said with a giggle, "Congratulations guys"

"Thanks sis" Buffy said standing up and hugging her.

"Wow, you're in desperate need of a shower, you're smelling a bit ripe" Dawn said, pulling away and waving her hand in front of her face.

"Yeah, well, you try laying flat on your back in a coma for two weeks and see how nice you smell you troll" Buffy said playfully swatting her arm.

"Olly, have you done your homework yet?" Giles asked him.

"Most of it" he said looking entirely too innocent.

"Go and finish it then please and we might let you stay up a little longer so you can watch that film you wanted to watch" Buffy said looking sternly down at him.

"Really?" he asked turning his hopeful gaze up to her, smiling broadly when she nodded at him, "Wicked" he said running out of the room and up the stairs.

"You've been quiet Tommy, is everything okay?" she asked him laying her hand on his shoulder and giving it a gentle rub.

"Yeah I'm cool, just trying to work out when the baby's due so I can learn the soundproofing spell for my bedroom" he said with a grin.

"Oh, uh, I'm three months so, May?" she said looking at Giles for confirmation.

"Sounds about right" he said nodding his head, "And that soundproofing spell will only keep noise from leaving your room, not prevent it from coming in"

"Shit" Tommy mumbled then looked up at Buffy with a contrite expression, "Sorry Mum, I meant damn it" he apologized with a grin.

She glared at him for a few seconds before her lips twitched, "Don't do it again" she said wagging her finger at him, "Go on, back to your game, the grown ups need to talk"

"When can I sit in on these secret conversations?" he said standing up with a sigh.

"Let's see when you are...never" she said looking down at him seriously, looking up and smiling when Dawn laughed.

"Don't worry Tommy she said that to me once when I was your age and before I turned seventeen I was researching demons and other creepy crap for them" she said rolling her eyes at the glares from the others.

"Which you won't be doing" Giles said sitting in his arm chair by the fire.

"Fine, can I get a drink first?" Tommy asked walking towards the hall.

"Sure, make it quick" Buffy said collapsing on the couch next to Xander who shifted to the side slightly holding his nose and gagging dramatically, "shut up Xand I'm not that bad" she said smacking his arm.

Tommy rolled his eyes and walked away as Xander shoved his Mum back. They waited until they heard him on the stairs and then his door shut loudly.

"So what's up Xand? You looked like you wanted to talk when I came in" she said shifting in her seat so she could see him better.

"Was I really that bad before you left?" he asked searching her gaze, not needing to clarify what he meant.

She looked over at Giles and he nodded, "They all know, I told them when you didn't wake up after a week"

"Okay then yes, although you tried when I came to see you, you couldn't quite muster up the old Xander charm. Instead we would talk, about anything really, but mostly about Will and your friendship with her before we met" she said taking his hand in hers and giving it a squeeze, "You blamed me at first," she said sadly, "wouldn't see or talk to me, only Dawn and Giles and Oz when he would come around and then Tommy snuck out of the house and visited you" she said smiling at the memory that was now mixed in with another one of a big dinner with everyone laughing and talking around the table.

"You phoned me the next day and I saw Tommy spying on me, smiling, so I asked him what was going on and he told me he yelled at you. Said he told you that he had heard me crying and talking to Rupert, saying that you should blame me for it, he heard me telling him that I missed you and that it hurt that you wouldn't talk to me. He told you he would find me sitting in the back garden staring at nothing and that I wasn't eating much" she said sadly looking at their joined hands.

"Buff I...I feel like I should apologize…." Xander said covering her hand with his other one.

She looked up at him with tears in her eyes and shook her head, "No, you don't need to, I said the same thing to you then on the phone. We were both hurting, you just dealt with it differently"

"Yeah by turning into my father, the alcoholic" he said bitterly and Buffy understood what was really bothering him.

"You were never your father Xand, the only person you hurt was yourself and you never drank when someone was with you, only when you were on your own which was why someone was always with you as much as we could be" she said forcing him to look at her, "you are not your father Xand, in no way are you like him"

"She's right Xander, I've seen her memories of that time and I remember all the times you showed up at my door during highschool half asleep and holding your school bag and a pillow, telling me your father had kicked off" Giles said from his chair.

"Yeah see that's what I don't get" Willow said roughly, sitting up and wiping the back of her hand across her eyes, "you said that she showed up in highschool, right after the Cruciamentum, and showed you all of her memories...how? I've never heard of a spell that can do that"

"Some Latin phrase, Et videat something" Buffy said, "Whistler told me how to do it after giving me the potion that wiped Rupert's memories"

"Can you show me those memories?" Willow asked her and Buffy could see the curiosity burning in her eyes.

"No, I can't" she said holding up her hand to forestall the argument that she knew was about to come out of her mouth, "Mainly because although they're still there, they're fuzzy, mixed into the new ones that were there when I woke up, I don't know why I still have them at all to be honest"

"Paradox" Giles said, his chin resting on his fist as he reclined in the chair, his long legs stretched out in front of him, feet on the coffee table, his glasses dangling from his fingers over the edge of the arm of the chair.

"Huh?" Buffy asked looking at him in confusion.

"You changed the timeline but as your soul was in between the past and the present at the time you weren't actually here when the changes came into effect so you retained the memories of the original timeline while the new ones, the ones that were meant to be there, have been superimposed over the old ones" he said putting his glasses back on his face and grinning at her glazed look.

She shook her head, "Again I say huh" she said with a smirk, poking her tongue out at him when he rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Buffy" Dawns voice causing Buffys grin to drop, "Did you see Mom?" she asked quietly.

Buffy looked at her sadly, "Yeah, only for about a minute though, she was heading back to the gallery to sort out a shipment" she told her softly.

"I wi...I'd love to be able to see her again" she said closing her eyes as a tear rolled down her cheek.

Buffy got up and sat on the arm of her chair, pulling her into her side and stroking her hair like she used to when they were younger, "I know kiddo but it was hard to see her and not warn her ya know, and it sucked when I woke up and all that pain was there as if it had happened yesterday"

"Is that how we got our stuff then? Did you leave yourself a message?" Dawn asked leaning back and wiping her eyes on her sleeves.

"Yeah I did" Buffy said leaning against the back of the chair, "I was walking around the house, looking at all of the things that we lost and I decided to leave myself a message where I knew I would look at the right time which is why I told Xand and Will to do it too" she said grinning at her.

"You couldn't warn yourself about Mom?" Dawn asked looking down at the floor.

"No. I couldn't change anything no matter how much I wanted to" Buffy said standing and moving over to the fire, "All the people that I could have saved, Mom, Tara, Anya and I could have, I know that, but then what would today be like? Who would have died instead of them? If I'd saved Tara then Giles would never have come back to stop you Will" she said staring into the flames as they danced along the logs.

"If I'd saved Mom, you guys would never have brought me back and then none of this would have happened including losing Anya or maybe you still would have only I would never have slept with Spike because Mom would have been there to help me through it and I would never have been expected to take care of everyone. He wouldn't have tried to rape me and then gone off in search of a soul which would mean that we would have lost against the First and all of the Turok-Han would have been set loose on the world" she trailed off and just stood there hugging herself until she felt Giles' hands on her shoulders, gently turning her into his arms where she willingly let him hold her.

"I'm sorry Buff" Dawn said through her tears, "I didn't mean..."

"I get it Dawn, I really do" she said looking at her from the safety of Giles' arms. "I wanted to tell her, so badly, but I couldn't just like I couldn't tell everyone I saw that day that I knew would die, I couldn't even tell Angel to stay away from Wolfram and Hart, it would have changed everything that had happened"

"That must have been so hard" Willow said, her voice thick with tears, "to see everyone and not tell them what would happen"

"Well yeah," Xander said clearing his throat when his voice cracked, "not only would it have changed things she would have been dragged off to the loony bin"

Buffy laughed and buried her face in Giles' chest, tightening her arms around him as she felt his chuckle vibrate through her, "Well there is that" he said.

She pulled herself out of his arms and smiled up at him, "I'm going for a shower now, you gonna join me? We'll save the bath for tomorrow"

"And with that we're leaving" Xander said pushing himself up from the couch, "You girls need dropping off anywhere?" he asked Dawn and Willow who were also standing up to leave.

"No it's okay, Will dropped me off on the way to the hospital so we're good" Dawn said grabbing her jacket and purse from the table in the hall.

"Okay then, we'll see you tomorrow Buff" Xander said pulling his jacket on.

"Why? Am I forgetting about something?" she asked frowning up at Giles who just smiled and shook his head, putting his arm around her shoulders.

"No, we're gonna be around for the next week to help you and Giles out with the kids so Giles can concentrate on you" Willow said fishing her keys out of her purse, "and I can't believe I just said that"

"Neither can I" Xander and Dawn said in unison causing them to break out in laughter.

"You guys don't need to do that" Buffy said looking at each of them, "seriously, we'll be fine, I'm fine"

"Nope, we're coming so don't argue, do you see my face?" she asked pointing to herself, "resolve face, see"

"Might as well give in Buffster, she used that on us when she came up with this idea, she's even got me going with Giles and Tommy to get the Christmas tree" Xander said with a roll of his eyes.

"But December is still two weeks away, why are you getting the tree now?" Buffy asked her eyes widened in shock, looking up at Giles.

"Don't look at me, she used that face on me too" he said with a shrug and Buffy bit back a grin.

"We're all behind on everything because you were in the hospital so long and we were too busy worrying about you to even think about Christmas so we're getting the tree now, one in a pot that we can keep alive and then decorating it to save some time and then we have to do the present and food shopping" Willow said glaring at each of them.

Buffy held her hands up in defeat, "Fine, we'll do it your way" Buffy said rolling her eyes at Willows triumphant smile.

"Good, so that's settled and we're going, see you tomorrow" she said with a wave and walked into the hall, the door opening a few seconds later.

"She's got me in the loft digging out the decorations" Dawn said with a grimace as she kissed Buffys cheek and then Giles', "see you guys tomorrow" and with that she was gone.

"See ya Buff, G-man" Xander said nodding at them before he left too.

Once the front door had shut Giles whispered in her ear, "You're loving her doing this aren't you?"

"Yeah, I really am" she whispered back as they watched their headlights sweep across the window and down the lane, "Shower now?"

"Shower then you get something to eat, I can hear your stomach grumbling" he said rubbing her arm, leading her to the stairs.

"You gonna watch?" she asked looking up at him with a sly grin.

"Not this time" he said with a somber shake of his head, "This time I want to hold you"

"Sounds good to me" she said happily snuggling into his side.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Buffy brushed her teeth as Giles turned the water on, adjusting it to the right temperature before standing back and letting her climb into the shower. She stood under the stream of water as he undressed, moaning in satisfaction when she felt the hot water hit her face and roll down her chest. Turning and leaning her head back under the water as she pushed her hands over her hair, her eyes closed as she relished the feel of the water.

She felt him get in and stand in front of her, opening her eyes, she saw him looking down at her stomach and her scar.

"It'll be gone in a week, you know that" she said softly as his hand reached out and his finger trailed over it.

"I never want to see that again" he muttered, his hand moving around to the scar on her back, "They can ask Faith to take the big ones for a while"

"They can't" she said putting her fingers under his chin and gently bringing his face up to look at her as his hand came back around and laid over her stomach, his thumb brushing the skin below her belly button, "She already takes care of the American threats, she can't be expected to fly over here as well"

"Then we tell the council to go fuck themselves until you've had the baby" he said, her hand moving over his on her stomach.

"Rupert, don't" she said ducking her head so she could look into his eyes, "I'll be fine, the baby will be fine, we'll be fine"

"You don't know that" he said pulling her against his chest and kissing the top of her head, "not for sure"

"You're right I don't, all I can do is believe that we will get through anything that comes our way as long as we're together just like we always have" she said kissing his chest as she moved her fingers in circles on his lower back.

Giles sighed and reached behind her for her body wash and a wash cloth, "Let's just get you cleaned up, we'll talk more later" he said as he squeezed the jasmine and vanilla fragranced liquid onto the cloth.

She usually reciprocated when he did this but she knew he wanted to take care of her, that he needed to for his own piece of mind so she let him do it. Resting her hands on his chest, her fingers playing with the hair there as he pulled the wash cloth over her arms and shoulders. She rolled her head back when he moved over her neck then back when he moved down her chest.

The gentleness of his actions overwhelmed her and she felt her tears well up as he moved down over her stomach and down her legs, his other hand following the cloth wiping the suds off as he traveled down her body and gently, almost reverently kissed her stomach.

She placed a hand on the top of his head to balance herself when she lifted her foot, then the other and gasped in surprise when she felt his lips slowly moving up the front of her leg as his hand dragged the cloth up the back, stopping when he reached her heat and repeating the process. His hands gripped her hips and turned her to face the wall before using a hand to gently nudge her legs further open.

She felt the cloth on her backside moving in slow, tantalizing circles, kneading the muscle, moving lower between her legs as he washed her sex, his finger unerringly finding her nub through the cloth and she moaned low in her throat, her hands pressed flat against the wall. He stood up and she felt his cock, hard and insistent against her lower back as he rubbed the cloth over her back and her shoulders.

His arm wrapped around her chest and pulled her back against him, holding her tightly as he bent his head and kissed her shoulder. She suddenly turned in his arms and turned her face up to his, her hand slowly moving down his arm as she teased his lips with hers.

"My turn" she whispered against his mouth as she snatched the wash cloth and grinned at the low growl vibrating from his throat.

She rinsed her body wash from the cloth then poured his onto it, releasing the woodsy smell she loved about him, cedarwood and the spicy scent of cumin oil tickled her nostrils as she began to rub the cloth over his chest and shoulders, holding his gaze as she moved down over his stomach to the evidence of his desire.

She wrapped the cloth around his cock and moved it up and down with teasing slowness watching as his eyes darkened. She did it twice more then moved down to his balls rubbing them gently before moving around him, kissing his chest as she moved. She pulled the cloth over his back, leaving feather like kisses along his spine as she moved down, hearing him gasp when she kissed the hollow at the base of his back.

Grinning evilly she pushed his legs further apart and dragged the wash cloth down the inside and the back of his legs before rubbing it over his ass then standing up and rinsing the cloth out again. Moving in front of him she grabbed her shampoo bottle and squeezed some into her hand before spreading it between her hands and massaging it into her hair while facing him.

She felt his hands cup her breasts and she grinned, "Not yet love let me wash my hair" she purred.

"Go ahead and wash it but I'm going to play while you do" he said as his hands continued to squeeze her breasts.

She shrugged as she leaned back into the spray of water, washing the suds from her hair then lifted the conditioner from the shelf and applied that. While she let it soak in for a bit she guided his hand down to her center.

"If you're going to play" she whispered against his mouth, "do it properly" gasping as he pushed two fingers into her heat.

"Like that love?" he asked her, his other hand teasing her nipple.

"Uh huh, yeah" she gasped then pulled his head down to hers, crushing her lips against his.

Still kissing her he moved her back under the water, removing his hand from her crotch, grinning wolfishly when she whimpered, moving it to her head with his other hand where he massaged her hair until it was free of the conditioner. Then he ran his hands down her back and gripped her ass, lifting her up and onto his stiff prick, swallowing her moan as he entered her in one swift movement, velvet steel now completely encased in the warm silkiness of her sex.

He was close already so he held still until he felt her tighten her legs around his waist and move against him. Their breath mingling, they looked at each other as he began to move, pulling back slowly before ramming back into her hard. She whimpered and gripped his shoulders, licking at his lips before whispering,

"We'll have to be quick love"

"I know" he whispered back, tightening his grip on her hips, shifting slightly and covering her mouth with his as he began to pound into her, fast and hard.

They absorbed each others moans as their tongues mated, his sliding along and over hers. She felt the heat building in her core as the top of his shaft scraped against her clit with every movement. She dug her nails into his shoulders as her pulse quickened, her muscles tightened around his shaft and she ripped her mouth away from his, throwing her head back and whimpering quietly, biting down on her lip to stop the yell as her orgasm ripped through her.

The clenching of her core as well as the look on her face as she came pushed him over the edge and he clamped his teeth down on her shoulder to muffle his grunts, emptying himself inside of her. Her walls twitching convulsively around him milking him dry as he continued to thrust, riding out the aftershocks with slow jerks of his hips, resting his forehead on her collar bone as she gently stroked his back and hair.

"I love you" he murmured against her throat, pulling out of her slowly.

"I love you too" she said back as he gently lowered her to the floor.

"When we go away I'm going to see how loud I can make you scream" he whispered in her ear, chuckling when he felt her shiver.

"Looking forward to it" she said as she stepped out of the shower, lifting a towel from the rack and wrapping it around herself.

"MUM! LIZZY'S DOING MAGIC!" they heard Olly shout from downstairs and they both sighed.

"After that wonderful interlude we now return to our regularly scheduled broadcast" Buffy muttered pulling out a pair of pyjama bottoms and a tank top from her drawer.

"I'm amazed we got that long before they started" Giles said pulling on a pair of sweats and a t-shirt.

"Rock, paper, scissors?" Buffy asked looking up at him with a grin as she wrapped her hair in a towel.

"This is going to require both of us I think" he said dropping a kiss on her forehead as he opened the door, the sound of distant arguing echoing up the stairs.

"At least you can have a drink if you want one" Buffy grumbled walking out of the bedroom and towards the stairs.

"ELIZABETH! OLIVER!" she shouted as she walked downstairs, pulling a face at Giles over her shoulder when she heard him chuckling.

"What! I didn't do nothing" Olly said mulishly as she turned into the living room. She saw Lizzy trying to slink off into the kitchen through the door at the back of the room only to bounce off her Dad's chest, squeaking in surprise.

"Get back in there and sit your backside down" he said his jaw twitching as he clenched it, walking behind her as she stomped over to the couch sitting at the end furthest from Olly.

"What have we told you about using magic without your father or Willow around?" Buffy said looking at each of them in turn, a look that was famous for making vampires run on her face.

"But I didn't" Olly said looking at his feet dangling over the edge of the sofa.

"Don't lie Oliver" Giles said crossly, "I can feel your magic and your sisters. Now tell us what you were doing"

"I just wanted to try a glamour to change my hair colour and Olly made my nose grow so I had to fix it" Lizzy said folding her arms over her chest and glaring at her brother.

Buffy looked at Giles and nodded, "You're both grounded and banned from doing any magic, unless it's an emergency, for a week" he said causing both of them to start whining.

"Enough!" Buffy shouted, "Both of you go to your rooms, you first Lizzy"

"Fine, whatever" she grumbled and stomped out of the room and up the stairs, slamming her bedroom door, music blaring out a few seconds later.

"Now you Olly" Buffy said and watched him run out of the room, the sound of him stamping up the stairs could be heard over Lizzy's music.

Giles moved past her and up the stairs, the sound of him banging on Lizzy's door and telling her to turn it down floated down to her a few seconds later and she grinned as she walked to the kitchen in search of food.

"What do you want baby?" she asked rubbing her stomach and opening the fridge, looking at all the food in there, most of it in Tupperware containers courtesy of Willow and Dawn.

She pulled out a few of the tubs and saw one that held what looked like chocolate cake right at the back of the top shelf.

"Dammit!" she said putting the tubs from the middle back and pulling down the ones she could reach from the top shelf but unable to get to the cake.

"What's the matter? Can't reach the cake?" she heard Giles' amused voice ask behind her.

"You think you're funny do ya? Tormenting a pregnant woman" she said turning to glare at him.

"Wouldn't dream of it love" he said reaching over her head and pulling out the tub of cake, "Did you want this?"

Buffy shoved the other tubs back and shut the fridge, holding her hand out for the tub as she continued to glare at him, "You want me to beg?" she asked him.

His grin widened as his eyes twinkled with amusement, "Desperately" he said slowly lowering the tub and then suddenly he didn't have it anymore. Blinking he looked at Buffy who was wiggling the tub in front of her a triumphant smile on her face.

"Never gonna happen sweetie not when I have Slayer reflexes" she said smugly turning her back on him and opening the cutlery draw, taking out a fork.

She turned back to him as she pried open the lid and lifted a bite out with her fork, "Hmm yummy" she mumbled around the cake.

Giles pounced on her as she swallowed, covering her mouth with his, forcing his tongue past her lips. She laughed in delight as he searched out traces of the cake, pulling back with a grin on his face and licking his lips.

"You're right it's delicious, can I have some?" he asked watching as she dug the fork in again, lifting it to his mouth then quickly shoving it in hers.

"Nope" she said with a grin. She darted past him and into the living room as he laughed, "Is there anything you wanna watch love?" she called out to him.

"You" he called back as he pulled out a tub of lasagna and threw it in the microwave. He walked to the door way and leant against it watching her surfing through the channels, stopping when she found Deadpool on a movie channel and pulling the towel off of her head, leaning over the edge of the couch to get her brush from the end table.

"Other than me" she said looking over at him as she brushed her hair. When she was done she picked up the chocolate cake and started tucking into it, "oh and since we didn't celebrate our anniversary, what with me being in a coma and all, do you want to do anything extra special next weekend?"

"Already planning it and no I'm not telling you what it is" he said seeing the curiosity spark in her eyes.

"Not even for some of this?" she asked holding out her fork, piled high with gooey chocolate cake.

"Not even if you were covered with it" he said with a laugh, pushing off the door frame when he heard the buzzer on the microwave. A few minutes later he walked back into the living room with his own tub and sat down in the space she made for him, her tub already empty, "Were you that hungry love?" he asked as he tucked into his lasagna.

"Not really, just a craving" she said putting the empty tub and fork on the coffee table, "so, was there anything on that you wanted to watch?"

"I don't really know what's on to be honest" he said between mouthfuls.

She brought up the menu and started scrolling through it, stopping on the classic movie channel and smiling at what was on, "How does Animal House sound?"

"Considering I'm going to be doing my best to feel you up, watch what you like?" he said scraping the bottom of the tub for the last bite of lasagna.

"Mum? Can Melissa come over tomorrow?" Tommy asked walking into the living room and sitting on his Dads chair.

"Sure, may as well get it over with" Buffy said with a smile, "Don't be annoyed with me if I have to kill her though"

"She's not a demon Mum!" he said indignantly.

"We'll find out tomorrow won't we" Giles said putting his empty tub next to Buffys and sitting back, draping his arm over her shoulders and pulling her close "What are you doing now? It's nine o'clock, so you're not going out"

"Just gonna be playing my game, Uncle Xander is online with me" Tommy said standing up again and moving around the couch.

"Tell him if he keeps you up past midnight again I'll make him wear the padding tomorrow" Buffy said looking over her shoulder at him completely straight faced.

Tommy laughed, "That was funny the last time he wore that" he said grinning at the memory, "I'll text Melissa and tell her I'll pick her up at hers and bring her here around lunchtime, it's okay if she stays for lunch right?"

"Sure, if she's not a demon" Buffy said shrugging at his glare, "Just trying to prepare you for a possible outcome"

"Not funny Dad" he said spotting his Dad's shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter.

"I'm laughing at that" he said pointing at the screen and scowling at his son.

"What's it called?" he asked looking mildly interested.

"National Lampoons Animal House" Buffy said snuggling into Giles' side.

"Cool, I'll leave you to it then, night" he said as he turned and left the room.

"Night" they both called back to him.

Buffy looked up at Giles and saw he was completely engrossed in the film now. Yawning hugely she shifted until her head was in his lap, smiling to herself when he started to comb his fingers through her hair.

She focused on the film but before long she was fighting to keep her eyes open as Giles chuckled at the antics on the screen.

"I'm supposed to be trying to feel you up" he said softly when he felt her yawn against his leg.

"Mmm maybe tomorrow" she replied sleepily.

He smiled down at her head resting on his leg and continued to stroke her hair, "Sleep love, everything's as it should be again" he said softly.

"I was supposed to show you something" she mumbled, her hand moving to his knee.

"What?" he asked brushing the hair back from her face.

The only reply he got was a soft sigh as he felt her body relax. Pulling the blanket from the back of the couch he covered her with it then returned his attention back to the film, wondering what she wanted to show him.

An hour later he was carrying her up the stairs and laying her in their bed, his heart thudding in his chest when she reached out for him across the empty space. He turned and left the room to quickly check on the kids before he turned in.

Lizzy's door was first so he knocked softly and slowly opened it, sticking his head through the opening first to see if she as asleep. Seeing that she was he pushed the door open wider and walked over to her bedside table, turning the lamp off and pulling her quilt over her shoulders, smiling down at the sight of his thirteen year old daughter curled around the teddy he had bought her the day she was born. Bending down he kissed her head and left her room, gently pulling the door closed as he left.

He checked Olly next, biting back a laugh when he saw him asleep hanging over the side of the bed. He walked into the room and turned the light off, leaving him laying where he was as experience had taught him that if he moved him he would wake up and not go back to sleep.

He knocked on Tommy's door and cracked it slightly, frowning when he saw him still playing on his Playstation, "It's getting late Tommy" he said standing in the doorway.

"I'm just finishing this story arc and then I'll go to bed okay?" he said not taking his eyes from the screen.

"Fine, just not to late" Giles said then pulled the door shut as he left.

When he got back to his room he found Buffy curled up on her side, facing the empty space he usually filled, buried under the quilt a soft smile on her face. He brushed his teeth and slipped gently into the bed, not wanting to wake her, laying on his side facing her. She moved over to him and rested her head on his arm as his hand slid up her back under the covers, pulling her closer as he tangled his legs with hers.

She sighed in contentment, burrowing her face in his chest and her arm winding around his waist. Within moments they were both fast asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:- See first chapter.**

 **Rating:- This chapter is a light M, suggestive but not descriptive.**

Chapter 6

Buffy woke up to the smell of pancakes and coffee tickling her nose. She rolled over and looked at the clock on her bedside table. Seeing it was nearly ten o'clock she sat up, blinking in surprise at the tray of breakfast being held by Tommy, Lizzy standing on Giles' side holding another while Olly stood at the bottom of the bed holding a bunch of flowers and two gift wrapped boxes in his hands.

She poked Giles in the chest and he absently rubbed at it, his face screwed up in confusion. "Rupert!" she hissed in his ear and he sat straight up looking around the room, alert and tensed for a fight.

She smirked at him when he saw the kids and looked at them suspiciously, "What's going on?" he asked looking at each of them and then at Buffy.

"Happy anniversary" the kids all said at once, Tommy and Lizzy both leaning over them with the trays, placing them over their laps.

Buffy looked down and was pleased to see pancakes with scrambled eggs and bacon, a bottle of syrup next to the plate and a bowl of fresh fruit. There was also a cup of coffee in her best Mum ever cup and a glass of orange juice.

Giles was surprised to find a full English breakfast on the tray in front of him with a cup of tea in his worlds best Dad cup, a plate of toast and a glass of orange juice.

They looked at each other and smiled before beaming at the kids, "Thank you, it looks yummy" Buffy said, tears in her eyes.

"These are for you Mum" Olly said scurrying round the bed to her side and handing her the flowers, gerbera daisies and chrysanthemums with a few fern leaves and baby's breath with two rainbow roses in the center of the bunch.

"They're beautiful, thank you" she said lifting them to her face and inhaling the scent, "our anniversary was a week ago though" she said laying the flowers on her bedside table.

"Well you were in the hospital," Lizzy said sitting against the post at the bottom of the bed, "It didn't feel right just doing it for Dad so we all decided that when you came home we would make you breakfast"

"That's very thoughtful, thank you" Giles said lifting his cup and sipping his tea, "Wonderful" he said grinning at the kids.

"Here Dad, you can open this one" Olly said handing Giles the bigger box, "You can open this one Mum" he said giving Buffy the smaller box.

"They're not gonna go bang are they?" Buffy asked holding the box up to her ear and shaking it gently.

Giles chuckled and set to removing the wrapping paper at the same time as Buffy. They both uncovered white boxes and set the paper aside to open them. Buffy uncovered two thick pillar candles with two silver and crystal candle holders, peridot, topaz and aquamarine gems grouped together at the front of the dishes.

Giles' box contained two medium sized wooden boxes with hinged lids. Engraved on the front of each was 'Happy 16th Anniversary love Thomas, Elizabeth and Oliver xxx'

They showed each other the contents of their boxes and grinned happily at each other before looking at the kids, each of them looking excited at their reactions.

"Do you like them? I added the gems to the candle dishes and they won't ever come off, Aunt Willow helped me to make them stick forever" Lizzy said grinning proudly.

"They're wonderful guys, thank you" Buffy said beckoning them over for hugs, careful not to upset her tray.

"How on earth did you manage to keep these a secret Olly?" Giles asked his youngest son knowing full well it was usually impossible for him to keep a secret.

"Tommy said he'd make me grow horns if I told you about them" he said happily, oblivious to the glare his big brother sent his way.

"I'm amazed it worked" Giles said amused at the look of surprise on his eldest sons face when he wasn't scolded for threatening his brother with magic, "I always thought you wanted horns"

"Yeah that would be cool but Tommy said they'd be massive like the ones Hellboy had in the first movie which would kinda suck" he said shrugging his shoulders.

"Come on, let's leave Mum and Dad to eat their breakfasts" Tommy said, "we have to clear up the kitchen before….."

"OH MY GOD! WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED IN HERE?!" they heard Willow yell from the kitchen.

"Before that happens" Tommy said wincing.

"You'd best get down there and explain" Giles said picking up a slice of toast, "she won't be so bad if you tell her you made us an anniversary breakfast"

"You think?" Lizzy asked looking at her father with a calculating gleam in her eyes.

"She'll still make you clean it up Lizzy, she's not that soft" Buffy said picking up a rasher of bacon and biting into it.

"Fine" Lizzy grumbled and marched out of the room, "come on then, I'm not doing it by myself" she shouted back at her brothers who stifled their laughter as they followed her.

"I think we did good with them" Buffy said cutting into her pancakes.

"Yes I rather think we did" Giles said proudly around mouthfuls of his fried breakfast.

They ate in silence for the next few minutes, steadily clearing their plates, sitting back against the pillows when they were done, holding their cups and sipping happily. Buffy finished her coffee and put the cup back on the tray, putting the tray on the floor as she reached under the bed.

"What are you doing dear?" Giles asked her.

"Getting your gift" she said sitting back up and holding out an emerald green gift box wrapped in a silver bow.

"I may as well give you yours then" he said pulling out the draw in his bedside table and removing a medium sized black velvet jewelery box.

She grinned at him and they swapped gifts. Giles watched her as she opened the box and smiled at her look of shook, "It's peridot," he said shifting closer to her, "Set in a dreamcatcher design. It's associated with the sun and since the earliest civilizations it has been prized for it's protective powers to drive away the forces of darkness"

She looked down at it causing a tear to splash onto her chest and touched it reverently, "It's beautiful" she said in hushed tone, "Open yours now"

He lifted the lid off of his box and tipped out a small black velvet jewelery box. Opening it his eyes widened in surprise and then he laughed. Nestled against white satin were a pair of gold cufflinks each with a peridot in the centre.

"Guess we had the same idea huh" Buffy said with a smile as he leaned in and gave her a kiss.

"Should we get up now?" she asked, mumbling against his lips as he kissed her again.

"I think they'll be busy for a while yet" he said using his weight to push her back against the pillows, putting his cufflinks on her bedside table then taking her necklace and putting it next to them.

He shifted the covers and settled over her, his hand moving up under her tank top moving slowly over the smooth skin of her stomach until he reached his goal, flicking his thumb over her nipple.

Buffy moaned against his mouth lifting her hips to meet his, her hands moved over his back, pulling his t-shirt up as his hand moved back down her body to the waist band of her pyjama pants.

"Happy anniversary guys….oh my god!" Willow said as she entered their room.

They jerked apart and saw a red faced Willow standing just inside their door holding a large gift box in her hands, her mouth open in shock.

Giles mumbled an epithet into his hands making Buffy grin. She raised her knee to hide the evidence of Giles' desire as he sat up a little.

"I'm so sorry guys, I….I didn't think" Willow said her face burning with embarrassment.

"It's okay Will, nothing we can't finish later" Buffy said with a grin, "Is that for us?" she asked indicating the box in her arms.

"What? Oh, yeah, the kids told me they surprised you with breakfast and their gifts this morning so I popped home, messaged Dawnie and told her to ring Xander and grabbed this, they'll be round in a bit with their gifts once they've sorted out their Slayers and given instructions for the days training to the Watchers on duty today…."

"Will?" Buffy said sharing an amused smirk with Giles as she rambled on, "Give it already"

"Oh, yeah here, hope you like it" she said with a tentative smile as she handed Buffy the box and gingerly sat next to her on the bed.

Buffy and Giles each took hold of the box lid and lifted, Buffy moved the tissue paper out of the way to find a beautiful clay vase with painted silver Celtic designs all over it, a gemstone sitting in the centre of each knot.

"It's beautiful Willow," Giles said trailing his finger over the knot at the top, "Everlasting love" he said smiling at Buffy, leaning in to kiss her again, headless of Willow sitting there watching with a huge grin on her face.

"Yeah, this one is my favourite though" she said leaning in and twisting the vase in Buffys hands until the tree of life was visible, "It has the gemstones for your anniversary spread through the branches like fruit see" she said indicating the various peridot, topaz and aquamarine gemstones dotted around it.

"It's amazing Will thank you" Buffy said leaning forward to give her a hug.

"That's not all" Giles said lifting a champagne flute out of the box. It had a design of two intertwined hearts with two green swarovski crystals applied to them, the base of the glass had another everlasting love knot with their initials on either side of it.

"Wow Will" Buffy said, "the vase was enough"

"I know but I wanted to do it, they're from me and Abigail, she painted the vase" Willow said happily, "Are you gonna come downstairs or…."

"We'll be down once we're dressed, no point in trying to get some privacy if Dawn and Xander are on their way" Giles grumbled putting the glass and vase back in the box, replacing the lid.

Buffy giggled and winked at Willow who just blushed and ran from the room mumbling something about checking on the kids progress with cleaning the kitchen.

"That wasn't nice" Buffy chided him as she climbed out of the bed, stepping carefully around the tray.

"It wasn't nice of her to barge in without knocking just as I was about to get lucky" he said shifting and swinging his legs over her side of the bed.

She walked back to him, standing between his legs as she ran her fingers through his hair. He wound his arms around her waist and pulled her closer, placing a kiss on the slight swell of her stomach.

"Poor baby" she crooned, kissing his forehead, "Had your nookie interrupted and now you're all grumpy"

He chuckled against her stomach and squeezed her backside, "You could change that right now if you like"

"I doubt we have time" she said a little regretfully, massaging his shoulders a little before running her hands down his arms.

"You were left hanging as well love" he said and she felt his tongue run along the edge of her pyjama pants, dipping down under the waist band slightly causing a rush of heat to flood her core, "I can smell you" he murmured, his hands brushing over her ass, gripping her upper thighs as he pulled her closer.

"Oh god" Buffy groaned and lifted her legs, straddling his lap.

Giles grunted his approval as she devoured his mouth, his hands pushing up the back of her top as she ground down on his lap.

"We're here" they heard Dawn call out as the front door shut.

They froze when they heard footsteps on the stairs and then continued their explorations when they heard Willow telling them not to go up, both giggling when they heard both Dawn and Xander's 'eew'.

"I'm gonna count to five then I'm coming up" they heard Dawn yell and Giles pulled away.

"I'm going to kill her" he said, his breathing laboured. He yelped in surprise when Buffy shoved her hand between their bodies and into his shorts, curling her hand around him and squeezing gently.

"I think it's time for a shower" she whispered in his ear as his eyes slid shut, "I'm already wet, might as well get wetter"

He groaned and removed her hand, standing up in the same moment causing her to squeal in surprise. She giggled as he kicked over the tray and tightened her legs around his waist as he swore. He carried her into their bathroom and locked the door behind him, the sounds of their laughter drifting through the closed door.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dawn and Xander heard the clatter of the tray as it hit the floor just before a door shut, a high feminine giggle floated down above the sound of the shower and they rolled their eyes at each other.

"Told you it wouldn't work" he said to her moving away from the stairs and into the kitchen, "Holy moly!" he exclaimed, his eye widening in shock when he saw the state of it. Looking around at the flour on the counter tops and the floor, the egg shells and bits of fruit littering the island in the center, the dirty pots and pans piled in the sink and the bowls with pancake mix dripping over the sides next to the cooker "What the hell happened in here?"

"We made breakfast for Mum and Dad" Olly said as he dropped egg shells into the bin.

"Really? It looks like you threw it at each other as well" he said stepping over a partially cooked pancake.

"I told them to wait for me but they didn't" Tommy said scooping it up and dropping it in the bin before kneeling down with a sponge and wiping the mess up.

"Are you just gonna stand there or are you going to help?" Willow asked wiping the counter top free of flour, "Buffy and Giles will be down in a few minutes and it would be good if they didn't see this"

"They won't be down anytime soon" Dawn said with a smirk and Willow rolled her eyes.

"Let me guess, they're in the shower" she said as Xander took the pots and pans out of the sink, scrapping off the excess food into the bin.

"Got it in one" he said with a shake of his head, "I wish Helen was back" he said grinning.

"When is Aunt Helen coming back? I wanna show Jesse the new world I built in Minecraft" Olly asked standing in front of Xander with a sharp knife and a couple of forks in his hand.

"Next week Olly, Jesse's still got a way to go before he has his magic under control" Xander told him taking the knife and forks from him and dropping them into the sink.

"Don't worry Xand, Althanea told me he was doing really well. It's only because his magic didn't appear until he was ten that's causing the problem" Willow said looking up from the puddle of eggs on the floor.

"I know, I just wish I could have gone with them that's all" Xander said looking down at her with a sad smile.

"Buffy didn't go with this lot when they went to the coven It's better if only magical people are there as they're better able to deal with any backlash" Willow said standing with a soggy pile of kitchen paper in her hands, putting it in the now full bin and grabbing the tea towel to wipe her hands.

"If you could hear the shower start that means Dad will need to put the soundproofing spell back up" Tommy said changing the subject, lifting the bag out of the bin and tying it off.

Willow spun around her eyes wide as all three adults looked up at the ceiling, a muffled shout heard a few seconds later. Willow ran out of the room and up the stairs, her voice drifting down to the kitchen as she opened their bedroom door.

"Soundproofing is down" they heard her shout and then a surprised yell in a deep voice.

A red faced Willow came back into the kitchen with Buffy a few minutes later, holding the vase with the kids flowers inside of it.

"Sorry 'bout that guys" Buffy said not sounding in the least bit sorry.

"Sure ya are" Dawn said with a smirk, putting a new bag in the bin.

"Why did Dad shout just now?" Lizzy asked from her position on the floor where she was using the dustpan and brush.

"He stubbed his toe" Buffy said smacking Xander on the back of his head when he sniggered.

"I take it this mess is because of the kids" Buffy said watching Xander fill the sink with hot water.

"Sorry Mum" Tommy said from his position next to Xander taking the frying pan from him and giving it a rinse before setting it on the drainer.

"Hey, it's okay, that breakfast was yummy" she said ruffling Olly's hair as she walked past him picking up bits of fruit, "at least you're tidying it up"

"Giles is bringing the breakfast trays down with him" Willow said bending down and helping Lizzy sweep the mess into the dustpan.

"Olly can wash those up" Buffy said grabbing a cloth and wiping down the island as Olly grumbled.

"What do you think you're doing?" Willow asked coming up next to her with her hands on her hips.

"Uh, cleaning my kitchen" Buffy said looking at her with raised eyebrows.

Willow snatched the cloth from her hand and ushered out of the kitchen, "No you're not. Today you relax"

"But I'm fine Will, I don't do relaxing you know that" Buffy said spinning away from her and going back to the island.

"Today you will, you just got out of the hospital and besides, Dawn and Xander left their gifts on the coffee table so go open them" she said pulling her back towards the door.

The kids were smiling and trying not to laugh as Willow ordered their mother around, "But..." Buffy said only to be cut off.

"But nothing, resolve face see" Willow said pointing at her face.

"Is Buffy resisting the relaxing idea?" Giles asked pushing his way into the kitchen, the trays stacked in his hands.

"Your in on this!" Buffy said incredulously, "Last time I give you a happy in the morning" she pouted and stalked out of the kitchen as both Xander and Tommy coughed and spluttered at the sink.

Giles chuckled as he placed the trays next to the sink, blinking in surprise when Olly stepped up to clear them and put them in the sink, "Okay, have I woken up in an alternate dimension?" he asked looking around at the adults.

"Nope, Buffy told him he was washing them up" Dawn said pushing Giles back out of the kitchen, "Now go join Buffy before she opens the gifts without you"

Giles let her push him out of the kitchen and smiled at the sound of Olly's voice asking,

"How did Mum give Dad a happy?"

Laughing softly to himself he heard Xander, Willow and Dawn say in unison, "You don't want to know"

He padded into the living room to find Buffy sitting on the sofa holding a large, flat square package, a look of apprehension on her face.

"What is it love?" he asked as he sat next to her.

"It's from Dawn," she said softly, "Not sure I want to open it after the last one she gave me"

Giles rubbed her back in understanding. The last picture Dawn had painted for her was of them with their mother, it hung in the hall upstairs with the picture of his parents, "Do you want me to open it? Or shall we open Xanders gift first?" he asked her.

She put Dawns gift down and picked Xanders up, "this one first" she said and started to rip the wrapping paper off unveiling a beautifully designed wooden box.

It was stained a rich dark walnut that would match their bedroom furniture and had an intricately carved pattern of whirls and loops that had their initials in the centre. Buffy lifted the lid and they both gasped in surprise.

Inside was a picture of the four of them with Angel, Cordelia and Oz standing in front of front of Sunnydale high. Buffy was wearing the white dress she had bought for the spring formal and all of them looked a little worse for wear so it was taken after they had defeated the master. Giles lifted it out of the box and looked at the back, written there was 'The scooby gang - extended edition' written in Xanders familiar loping scrawl.

Buffy looked over his arm at it, "I look a little wild" she said brushing a fingertip over her image, "Like I'm deciding whether or not to make a run for it and you're holding on to me like you knew"

"I did" he said looking away from the picture at her, "I could feel it, your fear and uncertainty was coming off of you in waves"

"Before that night I thought I was invincible and then I died," she said "scared the hell out of me"

"What else is in the box?" he asked her changing the subject, it was still painful to think about her first death and the circumstances around it.

"Just little baggies full of different things" she said lifting the lid again, "This one says it's a piece of the school sign, this one says it's a piece of the library doors, this one is a shard of your banister from your flat" she said lifting the bags out of the box and setting them on the coffee table, "shard of my headstone, pieces of the dummy from the magic box, pieces of the window frame from the house, dirt from the back garden, a little bottle of sand from our beach trip we took together after Adam, bits of the Dagon sphere"

"My god, he's kept these things all this time" Giles said lifting out a bag with a piece of styrofoam that had the Espresso Pumps logo on it, underneath that was a folded piece of paper. He opened it up and grinned sheepishly, it was a leaflet advertising his performance at the Pump.

Buffy lifted out a notebook from the bottom of the box and opened it to find a note from Xander,

 _Hey guys, hope this box full of memories didn't upset you 'cause if it did you might wanna leave the book for later. It's full of things I wrote about you guys, the big dates that we saved someone or the world, things I wanted to say to you both over the years and other stuff. Between the pages are flowers or other little things I could put in here. Willow wrote in it too._ _I stopped writing in it after we defeated the First, didn't see the point anymore._

 _Happy Anniversary guys,_

 _Love Xander, Helen and Jesse xx_

"I'm not reading this now" Buffy said handing the note to Giles, flicking through the book and seeing pressed flowers, scraps of cloth and loose pieces of paper between the pages.

"No, we'll save it for later when the we're alone" he said handing the note back to her. She put it back into the book and placed it back in the box, picking up the bags and the photo, putting them back too.

"That reminds me" she said shutting the box and standing up with it, walking around the sofa and out of the room.

He followed her with his eyes as she left, frowning in confusion but knew he would find out what she was up to soon enough. He turned to Dawns gift and contemplated opening it without her but as soon as it entered his head the thought was made redundant as she came bounding back down the stairs.

"What was that about?" he asked her as she sat back down next to him, handing him a notebook.

"This only exists because I cheated and left myself that message to pack up my things. It even has extra that wasn't there before because I wrote in it after we got here" she said handing it to him, "It's every thought, every feeling, every dream I ever had about you since we met"

"Since we met? I don't understand" he said looking at her in confusion as he took the book.

"I felt a pull from you after we first met in the library, I didn't understand it and kinda pushed it to the back of my mind, tried to ignore it actually but I would write about what that pull evoked inside me every now and then and when I saw Olivia in your flat that day I finally understood what that pull meant; you were mine and I was yours" she told him smiling fondly at his look of shock.

"That's why you pulled away" he said looking down at the book, opening it and turning to the first page.

 _My new watcher is yummy in a way I can't explain and it's freaking me out! Why do I dream about him kissing me?_

He read that and laughed out loud causing her to giggle, "You can read it later along with this" she said pulling an old, battered envelope out of her back pocket and handed it to him.

He looked at it and saw his name scrawled on the front, "Who's this from?"

"My Mom. She wrote it after I told her how I felt about you and asked me to give it to you if we ever started dating or if we got married. I remember being scared of her reaction and all she did was shake her head and smile at me then she told me that it was obvious how we felt about each other and that she'd seen it coming for a long time" she said kneeling on the floor in front of the coffee table, "Let's open Dawns and then go and annoy Willow with us not relaxing" she said with a wicked grin.

Giles swallowed the nervousness that had bubbled up when she told him the letter was from Joyce and tucked the envelope into the book. He placed it beside him on the couch and sat forward, helping her to flip it over so they could pull the tape up.

Once they had done that and the paper was off the back they flipped it back over and carefully laid it flat on the table. Buffy sat back on her heels and let out the breath she was holding.

"Well that's not so bad" she said and looked up at him with tears in her eyes, "I was expecting another library setting like the one she did for our first anniversary"

"It's amazing" he said putting his hand on her shoulder as he looked down at it.

It was them sitting on the couch with Lizzy and Tommy either side of them, their arms around each other and the kids. Xander and Helen were standing behind Lizzy, Xanders arm around his wife. Dawn, snuggled into the side of her husband James, were standing directly behind them and then Willow arm in arm with her wife Abigail were standing behind Tommy. Olly and Jesse were both sitting on the floor, leaning up on their knees pulling funny faces.

"This one goes over the fire place I think" he said standing up with it and carrying it over to the mantle place, leaning it against the wall behind the other framed photos they had on there.

"Not a bad haul today" Buffy said clearing up the wrapping paper and pushing herself to her feet.

"It's definitely going to make it hard for them to out do themselves next year" he said following her into the kitchen.

"As long as they don't throw anymore surprise parties I'm good" she said pushing the door open.

"Hey guys, did you like your presents?" Willow asked jumping up from her stool a little too quickly.

"They were amazing" Buffy said eyeing her suspiciously, "Dawn

that painting is great and have you kept that stuff hidden away all these years Xand?"

"Well yeah. I've been picking up bits here and there over the years and I figured you'd want them" he said with a self depreciating shrug, "After all you guys started in Sunnydale and it felt wrong that you didn't have anything of those places left"

Buffy walked up behind him and hugged him, resting her chin on his shoulder, "Thank you, we'll read the book later" she whispered in his ear then kissed his cheek.

He patted her hand and she let him go, hugging Dawn before opening the fridge and pulling out a couple of bottles of water, "Where's Tommy?" she asked handing one to Giles and giving him a look.

"Oh he went to pick up Melissa" Dawn said, "Lizzy and Olly are in their rooms doing whatever it is they do"

"Nearly time to figure out if she's a demon then" Buffy said standing between Giles' legs and leaning back against him.

"Does he know what might happen if she is?" Willow asked picking up her notebook and stuffing it in her bag.

"Yes, he's not happy about it but he knows" Giles said wrapping his arms around Buffys waist.

"If you guys are planning a surprise party I'm going to slay you" Buffy said seeing a silent communication between Willow and Dawn.

Willow and Dawn both looked at her entirely too innocently.

"What are you talking about Buff, we're not planning a party" Willow said looking at her like she was paranoid.

"Yeah Buff, after the last one why would we even try?" Dawn said rolling her eyes.

"'Cause you're you and you never learn" Buffy said folding her arms and glaring at them, "Every surprise party I've had has ended in badness"

"The last one didn't" Giles said resting his chin on her shoulder.

"That's 'cause we organized it" she said rolling her eyes at him, "Not to mention that it was held in the penthouse suite with security in the shape of Slayers at the only elevator to the floor who wouldn't let anyone in who didn't have an invite"

"She's got a point" he said grinning over at Dawn and Willow, a knowing look in his eyes.

Just as Buffy winced and rubbed at her stomach Tommy walked through the door with a girl, "Uh oh" Buffy murmured and she felt Giles stiffen.

"Hey guys, this is Melissa" Tommy said looking at the girl.

She was pretty with wide brown eyes and long wavy light brown hair, she was as tall as Tommy and dressed in blue jeans with a cream jumper and sneakers. When she looked at Buffy she flinched back slightly and looked down.

Buffy tapped Giles on the hand and he released her, dropping his hands to his sides with a resigned sigh. She walked forward, studying her reactions closely.

"Hi" she said holding out her hand making her let go of Tommy. As soon as she touched her she was sure. She looked at Tommy apologetically then back at Melissa, "I'm Buffy, the vampire Slayer and what are you?" she said increasing her grip on Melissa's hand.

"Tommy here, now" Giles ordered standing up and reaching for him as Melissa hissed and tried to take her hand from Buffy.

"Get him out of here Rupert" she said as she stepped forward, forcing Melissa up against the wall.

Xander, Dawn and Willow stood in a semi circle between them and Tommy as Giles dragged his son out of the kitchen, each holding a knife pulled from the block next to the cooker.

"Mum!" Tommy cried catching a glimpse of Melissa taking a swipe at her, her hands now sporting nasty looking claws, as Giles pushed him out of the room.

"Did you know he was my son or were you just looking for a meal?" Buffy asked dodging the claws and throwing a punch, connecting it on her jaw and knocking her head back into the wall.

"If I had known he was a Slayers son I would have eaten his heart as soon as I met him" Melissa replied her voice sounding like gravel crunching together.

"Too bad for you" Buffy said using the hand she still held to spin her around, gripping her under her chin with the same hand and reaching round with the other one as she snapped her neck.

Buffy let her body drop to the floor and turned towards Dawn and Willow, "So...any idea what I just killed?" she asked them.

"Not sure, has Giles still got the basement locked?" Dawn asked moving around Buffy and the thing on the floor.

"Is the password still the same?" Willow asked following her.

"Yes and yes" Buffy said staring at it, "Xander, can you go and let Giles know it's done" she said sadly thinking of her son.

Xander walked off in the direction that Giles had dragged Tommy, turning with his hand on the door to ask if she was alright just as the demon surged to it's feet and swiped its claws across Buffys chest.

"Mum!" he heard from behind him and saw Tommy standing there with wide terror filled eyes, a spark of anger in them that reminded him of Giles in a really bad mood and he stepped back.

"Ever thought of getting a manicure?" they heard Buffy ask. She flipped to her feet and grunted in pain, staggering slightly with a hand clutching at her chest.

The thing smelled an easy victory and surged forward going for the easy kill. At the last second Buffy ducked and slid past it delivering a kick to its back sending it lurching forward. Before it had regained its balance Buffy was behind it with a hand on its shoulder pulling it upright. In the next breath she shoved her fist straight through its back, her clenched hand appearing out of its chest.

"You never would have been good enough for him anyway" she said in its ear then pulled her fist out. Grabbing the meat cleaver that Xander had left on the island, she swiped it through the air taking its head off, watching as the body crumpled to the floor, the head bouncing once before rolling to a stop by the back door.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: See first chapter.**

 **Rating: M to be safe**

 **A/N: It's a long one but I didn't want to break it up and ruin the flow. Enjoy :)**

Chapter 7

"Okay, ow" she said dropping the meat cleaver and collapsed back against the island holding the hand not covered in demon blood to her chest.

"Buffy!" Giles cried pushing past Xander and catching her as she fell forward.

"I'm too old for all this shit" she said with a grim smile as her blood flowed through her fingers.

"Xander, the first aid kit" he said turning to face him and finding him already out the door.

Tommy stood there with tears on his face as he stared at the sight of his mothers blood. He looked up and met his fathers gaze, saw his jaw clench and his mouth set in a pinched line and automatically thought he was angry at him.

"I'm sorry" he whispered then turned and fled.

"Tommy wait!" Giles called out.

"Go to him" Buffy said in a strained voice and tried to stand on her own.

He looked down at her and she saw how torn he was about leaving her, "I need to dress your wounds" he said softly lifting her onto a stool.

"Xander can do it, Tommy needs you right now. He's probably blaming himself and thinks we're angry at him, especially you" she said making him look at her, "Go, I'll be fine he might not be"

Xander came back carrying a large case with Dawn and Willow right behind him just as he kissed her, "I love you" he said and then hurried after Tommy.

"How come he left?" Dawn asked as she grabbed a towel and handed it to Buffy so she could wipe the demon blood off of her arm.

"Tommy saw and he's freaked, probably thinks it's all his fault" Buffy mumbled, "Feeling dizzy here guys, can I get some juice and maybe a painkiller?"

Willow rushed over to the fridge and pulled out the orange juice, taking it to the counter next to the sink and picking up a glass off of the drainer.

"It was a Gorath demon, they kill families" she said as she reached into the first aid case for the extra strength painkillers they used for the major injuries. Finding the bottle she opened it and shook two out, handing them and the glass of juice to Buffy as Xander cleaned the gashes on her chest.

Buffy winced and hissed air through her teeth as Xander started to apply the antiseptic spray, "Let me guess the only way to kill them is by taking the head clean off" she said gripping the edge of her stool as Xander started to stitch up the deepest parts.

"Have you put any numbing cream on that?" Dawn asked when she heard the wood crack under Buffys hand.

"No time for it and we're out of local anesthetic" Xander said as he pushed the needle through her skin, "Sorry Buff"

"Just do it" she gritted out from between her teeth.

"They take the shape of whatever attracts their prey, going by scent for the ones that would give it greater sustenance" Willow said wincing as Buffy broke the stool with a grunt of pain "also, not poisonous"

"Well that's good to know" she grunted as Xander started on another one, "it's dead now but I'm not burying it, one of you guys can" she gritted out as Xander finished tying off the stitch.

"No need" Willow said walking up to the demon and waving her hand at it, murmuring words in what sounded like German and the body and the head turned to dust that she just swept up.

"Just gonna put steri strips on the rest of it, shouldn't hurt as much" he said looking up at her as he tied off the last stitch, his eyes widening at how pale she was.

"I'm gonna get her another top" Dawn said and ran out of the kitchen not knowing what else to do.

"Will, get her some more juice I don't like her colour" Xander said as he put the strips across each gash, pinching the skin together.

Willow had to help Buffy drink the second glass, her arms felt like they were encased in lead and it was a struggle just to lift it. She could feel the weakness set in as her body lost the adrenalin that had risen during the fight, the painkillers were starting to take effect making her feel drowsy which wasn't helping.

Once Xander had finished sticking the giant gauze pad over her wounds she was barely remaining upright. Dawn came back holding one of Giles' t-shirts but Xander shook his head at her.

"No point now, she needs to lay down before she falls over" he said as he picked her up, Buffy gripped his shoulder with both hands and let her head rest against his chest.

Willow and Dawn followed him as he carried her up the stairs, the t-shirt draped over her chest just in case Lizzy or Olly came out of their rooms and saw her. Dawn slipped passed him and opened Buffys bedroom door, rushing forward and flipping the covers back.

Xander laid her down and stepped back, letting Willow and Dawn fuss over her and help her change her clothes as he went in search of Giles and Tommy. He knocked at Tommys bedroom door and heard Giles tell him to come in, he opened the door and found Giles sitting on the bed. He turned his head and saw Tommy standing at his window, his arms hanging by his sides and his fists clenched.

"How is she?" Giles asked in a low, strained voice.

Xander looked at him then at Tommy then back at Giles, "Ten stitches, about twenty steri strips and I've just laid her down in your bed. She's still really pale and I'm worried about shock more than I am about the blood loss but she should be fine, or well on the way to it, in a few hours" he said shoving his hands in his pockets.

He looked at Giles and raised his eyebrows in question, nodding his head at Tommy. Giles shook his head and looked at his son, closing his eyes at the tension he saw there.

"My fault" Tommy muttered still staring out of the window.

"Like hell it is" Xander said cutting Giles off before he could speak. He walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder, forcing him to turn around, "The whole point of you bringing her here was so Buffy could tell if she was a demon or not. Did you know she was a demon?" he asked him seriously.

"Of course not" Tommy snapped at him and shrugged off his hand.

"There you go then" he said gently, "Tommy, I have seen your Mom run at demons twice as big as that thing armed with nothing but a stake and win, hell I've watched her take on twenty vampires at once and not get so much as a scratch"

"But she's died before, if she had died today it would have been because I brought that thing into the house" Tommy mumbled, tears falling down his cheeks.

"No son" Giles said standing up and Xander stepped back letting him take the lead, "When your mother died, it was her gift to us and the rest of the world. She wasn't defeated, it was her choice and she would never choose to leave you or your brother and sister" he said pulling his son into his arms and hugging him tightly.

"I'm so sorry Dad" he mumbled into his chest as he held onto him just as tightly.

"Nothing to be sorry for" Giles said pushing him back and looking down at him, forcing a smile for his sons benefit, "I'm going to check on your mother, will you be okay?"

Tommy nodded and stepped back, wiping his face with his sleeve, "I'll be okay just make sure Mum is"

"Do you want me to stay?" Xander asked him, "Maybe see if you can actually beat me on black ops?"

"Maybe later, I just wanna be on my own for now" he said sitting on his bed trying to smile.

"Been there man" Xander said patting his shoulder in sympathy.

Giles followed Xander out of the room, pulling the door closed as he watched his son rest his head in his hands.

"What was it?" Giles asked Xander in a whisper as they walked to the bedroom.

"Gorath, Will said there was no poison in its claws though" Xander said following Giles into his room.

Giles took a deep breath when he saw Buffy lying on the bed, her face pale but awake and giving him a small smile, "How is he?" she asked sounding tired.

"Blaming himself but he'll be okay, I think he needs to hear you say it's not his fault" Giles said walking over to the bed.

He rubbed Dawns back as she got up, letting him sit next to Buffy, moving over to sit on the arm of the chair Willow was sitting in.

"Go and get him then" Buffy said wincing as she tried to sit up.

Giles gently but firmly pushed her back down, "Later. You need to sleep, let the healing take effect first" he said sternly brushing the back of his fingers over her cheek.

"Yeah okay but I want him in here when I wake up, he needs to see me awake and talking especially so soon after my coma" she said looking up at him with wide eyes, tears welling up in them, "he saw me bleeding Rupert"

"Ssh love, I know" he said brushing her tears away and giving her a gentle kiss.

"Willow would you take Lizzy and Olly back to yours for the night? I don't want them seeing me like this" Buffy asked her.

Willow nodded and stood, "No problem. Xand you get Olly packed up and I'll get Lizzy" she said, "what do we tell them about why they're having a sleep over?"

"Tell them I'm taking her out tonight for our anniversary" Giles said taking Buffys hand in his.

"And tell them I lifted the ban on their magic for the night, that should make them happy to go with you" Buffy said with a grin.

"Gotcha, come on Xand, you can stay too and we'll have a movie night" she said walking out of the room, Xander following right behind her.

"The day started so well" Buffy said grimacing as she took a deep breath.

"I know love but it's not so bad" he said bringing her hand up to his cheek, "You're alive" he whispered.

"Pfft, no mere demon is gonna kill me, it took a mass of swirling energies to multiple dimensions to do it last time" she said nonchalantly, "I even beat a Hell god into a bloody pulp wielding a hammer not even Spike could lift"

"The Turok-Han came close, twice" Dawn said with a haunted look on her face.

"Just as well the ancient vampires are all dead then isn't it" Buffy said making a face at her sister laughing when she made one back.

"Hey, what happened to Ben by the way? I just realized we never saw him again" Dawn asked sitting forward in the chair as the sounds of Lizzy and Olly squealing in delight filtered down the hallway from their rooms.

Buffy and Giles looked at each other, both of them silently asking the other whether or not it was a good idea to tell her what he had done. Buffy shrugged and nodded so Giles looked over at Dawn, "I killed him"

Dawns eyes widened in surprise, "Whoa, really?" she asked, leaning back at Giles' nod, "That's a relief, I thought she would be back one day to try again I mean I am still the key, technically, the fact I can't have kids has proven that" she said sadly.

She had found out that she was infertile a few years ago after trying to get pregnant for over a year. Giles had researched it and told her that the monks had made her that way so that she couldn't pass on the key's power to any offspring. When she died, the key's power died with her.

"Sorry Dawn, we should have told you years ago but we thought it was better to keep it a secret, I didn't want you guys thinking badly of Giles 'cause he killed him" Buffy said looking up at him with a soft smile.

"Why would we think badly of him? He did it to protect you, and me. We've always known he would kill for you" she said calmly, simply stating a fact.

"Thank you Dawn" he said with a grateful smile.

Willow walked back into the room with a grin on her face, "The kids are packed and ready to go, Olly and Xander are currently arguing over which Spiderman films are the best ones, I swear he still hasn't grown up" she said with a little chuckle and a shake of her head, "They want to say goodbye before they leave though"

"I'll go to them and tell them that she's sleeping" Giles said giving Buffys hand a squeeze as he stood up and left the room.

"I think I actually will go to sleep for a bit, give the healing a chance to kick in" Buffy said shifting onto her side and back towards the middle of the bed.

"We'll leave you alone then" Dawn said standing up and walking over to the bed, "Ring me later, let me know how you're doing" she told Buffy leaning over and kissing her on the cheek.

"Will do kiddo" Buffy said patting her hand.

"And I'll call you later to let you know how they're getting on" Willow said waving to her from the doorway.

"Thanks Will" Buffy said waving back as she yawned.

When Giles returned after seeing Lizzy and Olly off he found her asleep, one hand resting over her hip on top of the quilt and the other resting up on the pillow by her face. He smiled at her sleeping form from the doorway before he turned and went back to Tommys room. Listening at the door he smiled when he heard the sounds of explosions and gunfire with the occasional grunt or slur to whoever he was playing online.

He padded back downstairs and retrieved the notebook Buffy had given him, opening it he removed the letter as he walked into the kitchen. Placing the notebook on the island he carefully opened the envelope, laying it on the side as he picked up the kettle and took it to the sink to fill it.

He put the kettle on the stove top and turned on the hob, he picked up the envelope and took a deep breath as he leaned back against the counter gently removing the letter. He unfolded the sheet of paper and began to read.

 _Mr Giles,_

 _I'm glad you and Buffy finally worked up the courage to tell each other what has been so obvious to the rest of us._

 _I tried to ignore it, as any good mother would, I even resented you for it at first because you already had so much of my daughters life. But I couldn't ignore it or resent you forever not when I really looked at how you were with her._

 _When I first noticed the feelings you had for her I was angry and I wondered when you stopped thinking of her as your daughter. That thought was quickly squashed when I noticed the anguish on your face when she was hurt, the worry when she was out at night patrolling, the relief when she came back unharmed and the way you are now; attentive, sweet and loving. You never thought of her that way, how could you and send her towards danger every night knowing that she may not come back alive or at all._

 _You are showing your heart and I find myself relieved that she will have you by her side if this surgery is not a success, that Dawn will have the father she deserves. You are a good man and are exactly what she needs in her life, however long that life may be and I hope that it is a long one._

 _If you are reading this then the surgery was not successful and I have had to leave my daughters. If I was alive then I would be telling you this myself, to reassure you that I do not harbor you any ill will for your relationship with my daughter. I would be there to see her on your wedding day and, god willing, to see my first grandchild come into the world. If not then I will be watching over you both on all the days that matter and if you hurt her then know that I will find a way to haunt you for the rest of your days._

 _Love her, be there for her the way you always have been and I wish you both every happiness you deserve._

 _Joyce._

Giles took a deep, shuddering breath as he refolded the letter and returned it to its envelope. A weight he didn't know he had was lifted from him as he read her words, the worry and fear that he would have angered Joyce with his choice to marry her daughter, that if she were alive their relationship would have driven a wedge between them, no matter what Buffy had said to the contrary.

Smiling he lifted the whistling kettle from the hob and turned it off as he poured the water in the pot. Making a tray he picked up the notebook and made his way back to their room to watch over her as she slept, relieved that this time he was doing it in his own home and not in a hospital.

He sat the tray down on her bedside table and carefully sat down next to her on the bed, gently rearranging the pillows behind his back. He stilled when she whimpered, looking down at her as she frowned and twitched in her sleep. He reached out a hand and gently brushed his hand over her hair, smoothing away the crease in her brow with his thumb. He smiled when she leant into his touch like a kitten, she shifted closer to him and lifted her head into his lap with a satisfied sigh, laying her arm over his legs as she settled back into a deeper sleep.

He poured himself a cup of tea and picked up her book, reading as he idly brushed his fingers through her hair. Her words made him wonder if the bond that sometimes existed between a Watcher and his Slayer was in fact a sign that they were meant to be lovers. She was oft times confused by it and tried with Angel to dampen the feelings, oh she loved him he knew that just as he had loved Jenny but some of her entries during that time made pain well in his heart.

 _I love Angel, I do, but a part of me wishes I was old enough to follow whatever this pull is towards Giles. My dreams are getting very steamy now and_ _apart from the wig that it's Giles that is doing this to me I wake up disappointed it wasn't real. I'm seventeen tomorrow and the only other dreams I'm having are about Druisilla killing Angel in front of me. The only thing that has scared me more than the possibility that they are prophecy dreams is the thought that I would lose Giles. I can't lose him! Not ever! He means more to me than anyone and I just wish I knew why?_

He continued to read through to the night she stopped him from killing Angel and with his heart in his mouth he read,

 _If it hadn't meant that Giles could have died I would have let him kill Angelus. He killed Jenny and now Giles is hurting because of me. I slept with him in a moment of weakness and set him loose. I couldn't kill him the night we stopped the judge. I failed Giles. I made this happen. Me. And I will never forgive myself for it._

 _For a split second when he pushed me away, angry at me for saving his life, I felt….lost. I didn't know what to do but then he started to cry, I've never seen him cry, not really. I've seen the tears he held in check when he bandaged my wounds, the night I found out about the prophecy about the master, but he never let them fall. I gave into the pull then and held him and it felt good, it felt right._

 _Am I crazy? Am I just making this up in my head? But why would I? It's Giles. GILES! My watcher, my friend. He doesn't think of me that way, probably never will. I'm his Slayer. He probably thinks of me as a child and he loves Ms Calender. He was hurting when we found out she knew about the curse, that she was sent here to watch Angel but he turned her away because she hurt me._

 _Is it wrong that I want him? Why do I want him? Argh! I'm so confused!_

He had never realized she had felt that way all these years, that the thought of losing him was harder to bare than the thought of him killing Angel. She had hidden it so well that even he, her Watcher, trained to notice even the subtle differences in his slayer, had never known what she was going through, alone it would seem as she had not mentioned talking about it to Willow.

He kept reading until he reached the first mention of the Cruciamentum and he couldn't read anymore just yet without some fortification, preferably in the form of a large glass of scotch. He heard a creak just outside their door and looked up to see Tommy standing in the doorway, his eyes on his sleeping mother as he stood warily on the threshold. He looked up at Giles and then back to his mother, slowly moving forward into the room.

"Is she okay?" he asked in a whisper.

"She's fine, the painkillers knocked her out like they always do" Giles said with a reassuring smile. Closing the book, he kept his finger in it as a bookmark, his other hand stilled on her head only to move again when she whimpered and tightened her hold on his thighs.

"I know you said it wasn't my fault…." Tommy started to say pausing to swallow as he looked down at his feet, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"It's not" Giles said gently. Watching his son struggle with his guilt was a startling mirror into the past and he felt as if he were watching Buffy struggle with her guilt when she couldn't save someone, for whatever reason.

"You are so like your mother Tommy, she used to blame herself for things that were beyond her control as well" he said smiling sadly down at her, "She still does. Even though there are hundreds of Slayers in the world now she still feels guilty for living her life instead of being out there defending the earth from darkness. It's her nature just like it is yours"

"Really?" Tommy asked looking at him in disbelief, "She shouldn't though, it's not her fault if someone dies or gets hurt or turned or whatever, she didn't make it happen"

Giles looked at him with a knowing smile and saw the realization of what he just said dawn on his face, "Sound familiar son?"

Tommy rolled his eyes, "Still doesn't change the fact that if I hadn't have met Melissa or whatever her...its name was, she wouldn't be here right now"

"Tommy…." he stopped and shook his head. He knew he couldn't say anything to him that would change his mind, he needed to hear it from Buffy. "I can't leave her at the moment," he said nodding at her position on his lap, "could you perhaps get me my bottle of scotch from the bottom drawer over there?"

"Why is it in the drawer?" Tommy asked walking towards the dresser.

"Xander likes that one so I hide it from him up here" Giles said with a grin, "It's expensive and I only drink it every now and then"

"I thought you were hiding it from Mum" he said opening the drawer and pulling out the bottle.

"She was the one who bought it to replace the one Xander finished off, it was her idea to put it in there" he said taking the bottle from his son and putting it on his tray, "I don't have any secrets from your mother"

"Really? None at all?" Tommy asked surprised. He thought that everybody had secrets they kept from each other.

"None at all" Giles said staring fondly down at his wife, "keeping secrets nearly destroyed us once upon a time, I don't ever want to live through that again"

"Oh back in her first year of college after you told her to handle it on her own" Tommy said sitting in the chair and leaning froward with his elbows on his knees.

"Not a time I like to remember" Giles said grimly, "Do you have any plans today?" he asked changing the subject.

"Jimmy asked me to go over and help him with his bike but I told him I needed to stay home today" he answered looking at the floor.

"Go and help Jimmy, she's going to be asleep for a while yet and she wouldn't want you moping around the house feeling guilty because of her" Giles said kindly,"go, she'll be fine. She wants to see you when she wakes up so make sure you take your phone and I'll call you when she does"

"You trying to get rid of me so you can get hammered Dad?" Tommy asked with a grin making Giles chuckle softly.

"Oh yeah that's the reason" he said relaxing a little when he saw his son smiling at him, his eyes dancing with mischief.

"Okay, I'll go," he said standing his eyes on Buffy, "You promise to call when she wakes up?" he asked looking at his father.

"I promise now go, try and take your mind off of everything" Giles said making a shoo gesture with the hand that held the book.

Tommy walked to the door and turned towards his room. Giles smiled happily when he heard his sons voice telling his friend he'll be over soon then waving to him as he walked back past the door shrugging on his jacket, his bag hanging from his hand.

Giles looked down at the book and opened it again, laying it on his knees he removed his hand from Buffys head and held the scotch as he opened it. Lifting the bottle to his lips he tipped the bottle up and took a large draw, wincing slightly as the amber liquid burned a path down his throat and settled in his stomach, the warmth filling him as he put the cap back on the bottle. Leaving it laying next to him on the bed he took a deep breath to steady his nerves. He picked the book back up, stealing himself to read about her thoughts and feelings on the Cruciamentum.

 _I'm having a nightmare, I have to be 'cause this can't be real. Giles would never hurt me like this, not my Giles._

 _I've been getting weird dizzy spells and so not feeling like myself lately. My aim has been off, my strength has gone and I've been scared, so scared_. _Giles said he'd look into it for me, said it might be the flu at first but it was him. He was doing this to me!_

 _I don't know who he is anymore. I thought I could trust him. It hurts that he did that to me, that he stuck a needle in my arm and pushed that stuff into my body all for a council test._

 _But he saved me as well. The vamp that the council wanted me to fight for this stupid fucking test got loose and grabbed my Mom so I had to go get her, no one else would be able to. I beat him, tricked him into drinking holy water and it burnt him up from the inside out. But there was another vamp I didn't see coming….if it hadn't been for Giles he would have killed me in front of Mom then killed her._

 _Quentin Travers, the condescending asshole, fired Giles because he cared about me. Like that's a bad thing! I'd be lying if I said that my heart didn't skip a beat when he said that, he cares about me! But then it dropped when the dick said he had a fathers love for me. I looked at him and saw the way he avoided looking at me, and Travers. What is he hiding?_

 _But he's not leaving me!_

 _No matter what happens with us this new watcher can bite me. I don't want him here getting in between us. He doesn't know me and if he's been picked and sent by Travers then he's bound to be an idiot. Sometimes I wonder if Giles was ever really like them 'cause he sure as hell isn't like them now._

Smiling he put the book down and looked at her. He often wondered if what she told him after that day was just her way of making him feel better. A week after the test she had come to see him at his flat, knocking instead of just walking in as was her custom at the time, looked up at him with her wide guileless eyes and asked if they could talk. He had prepared himself for her to ask him to leave, to tell him that she couldn't trust him anymore. What she said had knocked the wind out of him. She told him that she understood why he did it and that she would always think of him as her Watcher. She forgave him, just like that and he had known from that moment that the love he had felt for her was not that of a father for his child despite what Travers had said.

It had begun when she had stood in front of him crying and telling him that she didn't want to die, solidifying when she knocked him out. She wasn't the only one who was confused at that time, he had felt the pull as well but had dismissed it as merely a part of his connection to Buffy as the Slayer. If he had known she was feeling it as well he might have looked into it and discovered what it really meant, something that he was planning on doing as soon as possible.

He took another drink from the bottle and continued reading, finding out exactly how many times he had judged her actions towards him wrongly, assumed the worst when she was only trying to protect him or give him what she thought he wanted. He read about her revelation about them and smiled down at her when she said that she had wanted to attack Olivia, throw her out of his flat and take him the way she had been dreaming about since they had met, the hurt she felt when he told her that she should do it on her own. He winced and closed his eyes when she wrote about sitting in her dorm room and seeing to her own injuries because she hadn't wanted to bother him.

He kept reading, her dreams giving him ideas and causing him to shift uncomfortably as she was very descriptive about what they had done in those dreams. Up against the door in his flat, on the stairs, her leaning over the kitchen counter as he fucked her hard and fast with her skirt bunched up around her hips, standing in the kitchen with her on her knees as they got the drinks and snacks ready for the others waiting in the living room, the school library in the stacks, on the study table and his office, how it felt with him inside of her or when he was pleasuring her with his tongue, she said that when she woke from these dreams she could practically taste him. Her favorites were always the ones where he loved her with gentle, loving kisses and caresses, bringing her to the brink only to stop and start again, the power of her orgasm always making her see stars when he finally sent her over the edge he had skillfully kept her on. He chained her in these dreams, didn't treat her like a porcelain doll that would break if he was even a little rough, he left marks on her and she enjoyed it every single time.

He read about how she felt during and after the enjoining spell, how she could feel his presence within her stronger than Willow or Xander and the hope for a possibility of them when she felt how much he loved her. She wrote happily about their renewed connection when she asked to be her watcher again, how she was determined to be the best to make him proud of her and about how much she was actually enjoying it, a fact which had surprised her. She wrote about how grateful she was that he stood with her when her mother was sick and how he helped her with the funeral arrangements.

The next entry was a short one, one that made him take another drink as the feelings she evoked in him with her words took him back to that time and the pain of her loss.

 _Glory's discovered that Dawn is the key so now we're running. I can't beat her, she's too strong and I can feel my end coming. Maybe it's the Slayer in me recognizing that this is my last battle, I don't know. What I do know is that I don't want to leave Giles. My death would kill him I think. We have grown closer over the last few months, closer than we've ever been. I can't think about this. I can't do my job and worry about him and how he will be able to carry on without me. The others will be fine, I know this, even Dawn. Sure they'll be sad but they'll mourn and move on. Giles will mourn but he'll never move on. Our connection, our bond, whatever it is will leave a hole inside of him that he won't ever be able to fill. I don't know how I know this about him, it's just a feeling in my gut, instinct I suppose._

He let the tears fall when she began writing again after her return from heaven, wondering why she had never told him he had been the one that made her feel like she was finally home, that he made her feel warm and safe and loved and that she wanted nothing more than to tell him how she felt. He had to pause when she wrote about him leaving, on the one hand she was heartbroken and hated him for leaving her when she needed him the most but on the other she was glad he was gone as it meant he wouldn't die or get hurt because he was around her. He carried on, the entries sporadic and generally just a few lines to a page, most of the entries around the time she was sleeping with Spike.

 _I feel so dirty. I wish it was him and not Spike, I picture him when I close my eyes, imagine that he's loving me the way he did in my dreams. Spike says I came back wrong and that's why he left. Maybe he's right and I only belong in the dark now. Giles belongs in the light and away from me. I'm no good to anyone now._

"Oh my love, I'm sorry" he whispered looking down at her, his cheeks wet with tears. There were only four more entries left and he forced himself to read them knowing that they were written during the time of the Firsts bombardment of the Slayer line. The first entry was written not long after he had shown up on her door step with the news that the first had destroyed the council and was hunting down potentials and their Watchers. She was happy he was back but confused that he was keeping his distance from her. She wondered if he had lost anybody when the council offices in London were blown up and decided that if he wanted to talk to her about he would.

He mentally kicked himself that he had never opened up to her about it until after Sunnydale had become a crater. Maybe it would have saved them a lot of grief if he had just spoken to her like he had wanted to instead of listening to that niggling voice in the back of his mind that told him she wasn't interested, that she was far too busy dealing with everything else to worry about an old fool like him.

The second entry caused the tears to flow again. Just five sentences of her familiar script but in its brevity he felt her pain and heartache and he wished he had changed that as well.

 _Today we went to the vineyard to confront Caleb._

 _We, no I, I lost so many girls because I was so sure he had something there that he didn't want me to have, the girls were right to turn on me._

 _Because I fucked up Xander lost an eye and those girls are dead._

 _I don't know how much more of this I can take, if I can even do this anymore, the weight has gotten too heavy for me to carry on my own._

 _The one positive, the only source of light in this darkness, is that Giles stood behind me, my stalwart standing fast._

He lightly touched the yellowed stains that were a sign of the tears that had fallen onto the page as she wrote. He was shocked that she referred to him as her stalwart, he hadn't known she had heard him that night in the training room. The third entry made him smile as he could practically feel the happiness pouring out of the page.

 _I went to him after everyone else was settled at the motel. I was really nervous and a little scared to knock on Giles' door. The room he had chosen for himself was as far away from the sound of the girls happily chatting away and celebrating as he could get and still be around for them if they needed him. But I needed him now. I needed him to know I loved him, that I have loved him for a long time._

 _I knocked and he opened the door, he looked at me for a brief second then opened the door wider giving me permission to enter. He asked if I was hurt in the fight, I nodded and pointed to the hole in my shirt, the blood had long since stopped flowing and there was no pain._

 _Giles told me to lift my shirt, he put his glasses on as he sat down and pulled me forward with a hand on my hip. I bit back the groan at the feel of his hands on me and let him examine me. He turned me around and I heard his gasp, felt his hand shake when he realized I had been run through. I took a deep breath and decided to take a leap, risking what was left of our fragile relationship. I turned and climbed into his lap, wrapping my arms around his neck as he cried into my hair, his arms holding me tightly and in that moment I did what I had always wanted to do but never could. I lifted his head and kissed him, gently at first, just a taste I told myself but I wasn't prepared for the connection to flare to life between us. I wasn't prepared for his arms to tighten around me and pull me closer. I wasn't prepared for the heat that surged through my body when he begged entrance to my mouth. And I sure as hell wasn't prepared to be made love to like that. I felt cherished in his arms and I never want him to let go of me._

By the time he was done reading he was grinning like a kid at Christmas and he knew what would be next. Eagerly he turned the page and read her final entry in the book that had been her journey of discovery, the tangible proof that she had always loved him.

 _Yesterday I told him I was pregnant. He was so happy. His joy was beautiful as he bent his head and kissed my stomach saying hello to the life growing inside of me. Our child. A possibility that neither of us thought we would have and now that we have literally changed the world we can enjoy it without worrying about it being ripped away from us._

 _I came home from work today to find him standing in our living room surrounded by light. At least a hundred candles burned from every surface amidst the hundreds of roses in every colour. A song that was vaguely familiar played in the back ground, later he told me it was Sunshine of your Love by Cream, and as I stood there in awe he got down on one knee and held up a ring box. The tears started then and when he asked me to marry him I launched myself at him, knocking him backwards as I covered his face in kisses telling him yes over and over again._

 _As I write this, my final entry, he is asleep curled around me, his head on my stomach. There is still a fear inside of me that I will lose him, lose the baby, lose this bliss that we have found with each other but I try to ignore it. I love him so much and I hope our child is a boy so I can give him a son. We've already decided, in the moments we caught our breath, that we will give him or her the choice he never got. We won't force our child to follow in his footsteps, or mine if it's a girl and she turns out to be a potential Slayer._

 _I never thought I would live long enough to have a child let alone the love of a good man. I hope that we live to see our child grow because even though the world is now full of Slayers it still needs me to defend it and with that comes the possibility that I will still die younger than I should and leave Giles alone with our child. I don't want that but I must accept it could happen. He knows this as well, I can tell by the way he is holding onto me right now._

 _I'm stopping now, I can sense him waking up and I don't want him to see this just yet. In time I will show him, maybe if we last until our fifteenth wedding anniversary I will give it to him to read. If not then he will find it when he finally gathers the strength to go through my things if the worst should happen._

 _Rupert Giles I have loved you with every breath in my body even when I didn't know what it was I was feeling and as long as some part of me exists I will love you always. Even in death you still hold my heart and soul, nothing will ever change that._

He closed the book and wiped his tears away a ridiculously large grin on his face. He looked down and saw her smiling up at him, her own eyes shining brightly as she watched him.

"How long have you been awake?" he asked shifting down so that her head was nestled against his chest.

"Long enough" she said leaning up on her elbow and pointing to the scotch on her bedside table, "needed the extra boost huh" she said grinning at him.

"I admit I was a little fearful of what I would read when I reached the Cruciamentum and then the part after I left you when you were brought back to me was a little daunting" he said wrapping her in his arms and holding her as tight as he dared.

"Are you glad you read it?" she asked her fingers tracing patterns on his chest over his heart.

"Yes I am, thank you for giving it to me" he said kissing her head, "now I need to call Tommy, he wanted to know when you woke up" he said moving to get up avoiding her gaze.

She held him down easily enough and forced him to look at her, "What's got you so spooked love" she asked gently searching his face for a clue as to what was bothering him.

"Nothing" he said sighing and looking up at the ceiling, "reading your side of things has just made me realise how much time we wasted. If only you had told me about the pull you felt and what it made you feel, I could have told you I felt the same"

"Rupert, life is full of 'if onlys' and there's not a damn thing you can do to change what was meant to happen" she said stretching up and kissing his chin, biting back the hiss when she pulled at the stitches.

He noticed anyway and pushed her onto her back. Lifting his t-shirt that she was wearing he checked the dressing and saw the faint pink of blood that had soaked into it.

"I'll be right back, I need to change it" he said as he eased off of the bed. He picked up the tray and took it down with him, jumping slightly when he saw Tommy sitting on a stool at the island, "I thought you had gone to Jimmy's"

"I did, an hour ago, we fixed his bike and I came back. Saw you were totally into that book you were reading and came back downstairs to get something to eat and do some research" he said showing Giles the book in his hands.

He blinked when he recognized it as one of his own diaries, "Why are you reading that?" he asked looking at the date at the top of the page, "And why my first one as your mothers Watcher?"

"I had only just started reading yours when Mum came home and found me with them and I had started from the last one, I didn't get to this one" he said putting a piece of paper between the pages and closing it, "I wanted to know what it was like for you when she first started"

"Why do you want to know? And why didn't you just ask me?" he asked as he washed up his teapot and cup.

"I wanted to see for myself and I want to know because I've decided what I want to do when I leave school" he said looking at his fathers back. He saw him tense up then watched as he relaxed, putting the teapot on the drainer before he turned to face him.

"Are you sure Tommy?" he asked slowly, "Being a Watcher isn't always about victories son, sometimes it's about losses"

"I know that" Tommy said quietly, "You lost Mum twice and I know it hurt you so much the second time that you ran to England but I also know how happy you were when she came back"

"They don't always come back, if it wasn't for Willow and the others she wouldn't be here now and I'd probably be wasting away in the basement library of the council or hiding somewhere in the world unable to live with my grief" he said sadly.

"Are you trying to talk me out of it?" Tommy asked picking up his diary, "'cause this tells me how much she meant to you, how much you enjoyed watching her fight, how much you owed her for showing you there was another way and this was back when the council only thought of the Slayer as a tool in their arsenal and not the human being she is" his voice rising slightly with annoyance.

Tommy took a breath and calmed himself down. He looked up at his father and saw him smiling at him, "Why are you smiling like that? I thought you would hate the idea of me becoming a Watcher"

"Oh I do but I also know that you will be one of the best Watchers in history, maybe even better than me" he said proudly, "Tommy you have grown up surrounded by people who have chosen to fight not had it thrust upon them by destiny, I'm not surprised you want to become a Watcher"

"What's taking you so long?" Buffy asked walking into the kitchen, "Tommy, oh thank god" she said when she saw him and immediately wrapped him in her arms.

"I'm sorry Mum, if I hadn't of brought her here….."

"Stop that" she said pushing him back so she could look at him, "I would rather it was me than you, I heal fast and as you can see I'm fine"

"But…." he started looking away from her.

"No. No buts. I won't have you blaming yourself for me getting hurt while I was doing my job" she said fixing him with a stern look.

"Okay I won't but I'm still sorry" he said looking at her with a small grin.

"Tell her what you've decided to do" Giles said, relieved that Tommy had finally accepted that he wasn't to blame.

"I want to become a Watcher like Dad" he said standing up straighter, "I want to help and besides I already have a leg up on the others my age, I already speak three languages and can read five and I know what being the Slayer is really like and not what the books say it is I mean I am the son of the oldest active Slayer in history not to mention the best that has ever lived"

Buffy looked at Giles and narrowed her eyes at him, "Have you been giving him charm lessons?" she asked making him bark out a laugh.

"He must have inherited it" he said walking over and putting an arm around her.

She elbowed him lightly and turned back to Tommy, "Don't lay it on so thick you don't need to butter me up" she said with a grin at his look of surprise.

"You mean you won't try and stop me?" he asked looking at each of his parents. He could see they were worried and maybe even a little afraid and he thought they would try and talk him out of it.

"No we won't" Giles said looking down at Buffy, "We decided long ago that we would let you make the choice and that we would stand behind you no matter what it was"

"Although I had a feeling you would follow in your Dads footsteps" Buffy said brushing his hair back off his forehead, "You are the son of a Slayer and her Watcher after all, helping people is in your DNA"

Tommy threw his arms around both of his parents and then ran off to his room, that afternoons events no longer weighing so heavily on his shoulders.

"Can we change my dressing now? I'm hungry" Buffy said trying to mask her worry.

Giles saw through it and wrapped his arms around her, "He'll be fine love" he whispered resting his cheek on the top of her head.

Buffy sighed and tightened her hold around his waist, "I know and I know it's different now but he has such a gentle heart, if his potential becomes the Slayer and she dies…I don't know if he will handle it all that well"

"It'll be a long time before we have to worry about that" he said rubbing her back. He pulled away and reached down for the first aid kit from next to the island where Xander or Willow had left it. Lifting it onto the island he turned back and grabbed the hem of her top lifting it up so he could get at the bandage.

He pulled it up and examined the wound, gently feeling around it for any swelling before removing the steri strips and giving it another wipe with the antiseptic cloths and reapplying a smaller dressing.

"All done, now what would you like to eat?" he asked her, zipping the case closed.

"Toad in the hole with roast potatoes and parsnips and thick gravy" she said closing her eyes as she pictured it.

"You want all of that?" he asked smiling at her. Her cravings with Olly were a little more bizarre but just as easy to throw together.

"Yep and Wills made it easy for you, there's already a toad in the hole in the freezer and she bought those quick cook roast potatoes and parsnips so all you really have to do is make the gravy while everything else is cooking" she said happily grinning up at him.

He laughed as he bent his head, softly kissing her lips, "At least it's not a pizza with olives, anchovies, barbecue sauce and pineapple on it" he said when he had pulled back.

"Yeah that was gross" she said with a mock shudder.

"Indeed it was" he agreed with a shake of his head, "Now go and put your feet up and I'll bring it in when it's ready"

"I can help Rupert, I'm not an invalid" she pouted at him.

"Buffy indulge an old man and let me take care of you" he said rolling his eyes at her.

"Less of the old you" she said reaching her arms around his neck and pulling herself up onto her tiptoes to give him a kiss, "besides you're my old man" she whispered against his lips. She let him go and left the kitchen surprising him with her lack of argument.

Shaking his head he opened the freezer door and dug out the food that she wanted wondering if he would ever stop being surprised by her.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: See first chapter.**

 **Rating: M**

Chapter 8

"Tommy, Lizzy, Olly come on, you're going to be late for school" Buffy called up the stairs.

"Coming Mum" Lizzy shouted back just before Olly came running down the stairs.

"Ready Mum" he said running over to the coat rack and grabbing the bottom of his jacket, jumping up and down with it to try and get it off of the hook.

"Rupert, can you grab the list that's on the fridge please" she called out to him as she helped Olly pull his coat down.

"Got it" he said walking through the kitchen door holding it in his hands, "Are we heading into London for any of this?" he asked quickly looking it over.

"Nope just into town will do" she said handing Olly his lunchbox, "Elizabeth will you get your butt down here now or you're walking to school, you too Thomas!" she shouted, standing at the bottom of the stairs.

"What about the food shopping?" Giles asked shrugging his jacket on.

"Wills taking care of that tomorrow, Abby's back today so the phone will probably be off the hook" she said with a grin.

Giles chuckled as he picked up the car keys and handed Buffy her coat, "Elizabeth! Now!" he shouted as Tommy came trotting down the stairs with his earphones dangling around his neck.

"Alright sheesh" Lizzy grumbled standing at the top of the stairs, pulling her long blonde hair out of her jumper.

Buffy rolled her eyes and checked she had everything she needed in her bag before pulling Lizzy's jacket from the coat rack and throwing it at her, "Do you two have your lunch money?" she asked as Giles opened the front door and walked out to the car with Olly.

"Got it" Tommy said patting his pocket.

"Yep, it's in my purse" Lizzy said flicking her hair back as she walked through the door.

Buffy checked her watch and smiled to herself, _we should be done just in time for lunch and that gives us four hours_ she thought mentally hugging herself in glee, _he's not going to know what hit him._

She walked around to the passenger side, dipping her head and checking the kids were belted in as she opened her door.

"What are you up to love?" Giles asked her as she sat down.

Pulling the door shut and grabbing her belt she just smiled and winked at him, "You'll see" she said then sat back with a grin on her face.

Giles kept looking over at her as they drove to Olly's school, his eyes narrowed in speculation. In the end she looked at him and said, "I'll tell you soon, stop being so paranoid Rupert"

"It's not paranoia if I know you" he said with a chuckle.

She giggled and reached over to pat his knee, "And you do know me so very well don't you my love" she said causing Lizzy and Tommy to groan in the backseat.

He stopped just up the road from Olly's school and Buffy got out with him as Giles sat in the cue of cars, slowly inching along until he got to the main gate where Buffy was waiting for him.

"Can I stay at Jennifer's after school please?" Lizzy asked holding her phone.

"Not today no, maybe next week" Buffy said firmly, "We have a lot to do this week to get the house ready for the next month and I would like you to help and before you start all of you will be helping"

"Ugh, so not fair and I have to put up with Jesse and Olly being total wankers for the next month, my life sucks" she grumbled under her breath as her thumbs flew over the screen.

"Oi! None of that young lady" Buffy said looking at her over her shoulder.

"None of what? I didn't say anything" Lizzy said looking at her mother with wide eyes acting every bit the innocent.

"I heard what you called Jesse and Olly and in no way does your life suck" Buffy said glaring at her, "but if you keep up with the attitude I can make sure it does"

"There is no way you heard that, I barely whispered" Lizzy said disbelievingly.

"She heard it" Tommy said looking at her with a grin, "I think it's time she finds out the family secret"

"Hmm maybe you're right" Giles said looking in the rear view mirror at them, "We'll sit down tonight and talk about it when Olly's in bed"

"What family secret? Why does Tommy know and I don't" Lizzy asked looking between her parents.

"Later Lizzy, just go to school and we'll talk about it later" Buffy said as they pulled up outside of their school.

"See you later" Tommy said as he pushed open the door with a wide grin on his face as Lizzy continued to grumble under her breath while unbuckling her belt and scooting over to climb out of the car.

"Don't forget you have homework club after school" Buffy said just as Lizzy closed the door harder than necessary.

"Are you going to tell me what you're up to now?" Giles asked her as he drove away.

"Not just yet," she said reaching forward and turning the radio on.

"Why not? The suspense is killing me" he asked his voice taking on a slight whine.

She smiled widely as she searched through the stations, sitting back as she settled on a classic rock station and looked out of the window, "Part of the plan Rupert" she said as he maneuvered the car back onto the main road.

He huffed and put his foot down as she started to hum along to a Pink Floyd track, "What are we getting the kids for Christmas by the way?" he asked.

"I have their lists," she said leaning down between her legs and grabbing her handbag from the floor. She pulled out the three sheets of paper and dropped it back down, "Uh Tommy wants a couple of games and a years subscription to Playstation Plus, a pair of trainers and some clothes. Lizzy wants jewelery and make up, some straighteners and clothes, a new iPod and an iTunes voucher for her music. Olly wants the Harry Potter books, a gross magic set, a telescope and a BMX" she said reading from the lists.

"Any way we can get all of that in one place?" he asked her concentrating on the road.

"Nope but don't worry I've ordered some of it online and what we can get in town won't take us long" she said leaning her head back against the seat and smiling fondly at him, "You can pick up the Harry Potter set for Olly while I get the make up and straighteners Lizzy wants then we'll both go to the computer shop for Tommy's bits, sound good?"

"It does, it'll give me the chance to pick up your gift as well" he said taking her hand in his.

"Exactly my thoughts as well" she said smiling at him.

After they had parked the car they walked along the highstreet with their arms around each other, looking in shop windows and occasionally going inside to buy something. When they reached the shop Buffy planned on getting Lizzy her make up he bent his head and gave her a quick kiss before walking on to the book shop.

They met up outside the library as planned forty five minutes later and continued their shopping, picking up Tommy's gifts and ones for the others, hiding the purchases that they had made for each other with secretive grins.

Three hours later they were heading back to the house and Buffy still hadn't told Giles what she was planning, "Are you ever going to tell me what you're up to?" he asked her as he pulled into their drive.

"You'll find out soon enough" she said getting out of the car and moving round to the trunk, "I'm gonna leave these outside the basement door, minus yours, and you can take them downstairs while I set up, give it half an hour then come upstairs" she said as she pulled the bags out of the trunk.

For some reason excitement shot through Giles as he watched her walk away. The last time she had said something similar was when she had allowed him to use sex magic with her again that resulted in a very memorable afternoon while the kids were at school a couple of years ago. Shaking his head to clear the very pleasant memories he picked up his bags shutting the boot with his elbow as he walked towards the house.

While he was occupied Buffy hid his present and began to strip out of her clothes, shivering at the thought of his reaction when he saw what she had bought for their anniversary a few months ago. She bent and pulled the bag out from under the dresser and took it into the bathroom, grinning wickedly when she lifted the garment out of the bag and slid it on.

It was a silver grey baby doll with lace cups and a pale pink ribbon detail under the bust, it came with a pair of crotchless panties that she slipped on. Bending back to the bag she pulled out the strawberry flavoured massage oil and the silk scarves she had bought at the same time. She walked back into the bedroom and put the oil and scarves on her bedside table and then settled herself in the middle of the bed, sitting up against the headboard with her legs stretched out in front of her crossed at the ankles. She grinned when she heard him on the stairs, it had only been twenty minutes, and fiddled with her breasts, adjusting the cups so they fit perfectly and waited for him to push open the door.

Unable to wait the thirty minutes she had asked for he walked up the stairs, his heart pounding in anticipation. He slowly pushed open the bedroom door and saw the vision she presented on the bed.

"You cheated" she pouted uncrossing her ankles and giving him a flash of her panties, smirking when she saw his eyes widened and his tongue slip out and wet his top lip, "Strip" she ordered and watched in amusement as he practically tore his clothes off after taking the time to shut their door.

She slid slowly off the bed and walked towards him as he pushed his jeans and boxers down his legs, her eyes locking appreciatively on his erection. Once he had kicked them away she grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the chair she used at her vanity table, "sit and put your arms behind your back" she ordered.

Eagerly he did as she told him and watched as she walked back to the bed, picking up a silk scarf and walking back over to him. She moved behind him and tied his hands together and then attached them to the back of the chair. She moved back to the bed and picked up the other scarf, folding it over twice as she walked slowly back to him.

She covered his eyes and tied it behind his head, "You'll get your turn to play after I've had my fun" she murmured against his lips before kissing him, hard. Her tongue teasing him as she nipped at his lips.

She pulled away and he felt her hand in his hair, pulling his head back as she licked and sucked her way down his neck and across his collar bone. He began to pant when he felt her tongue circling his nipple and he groaned when she sucked on it, grazing it with her teeth.

She licked, sucked and nibbled both of his nipples before moving back up and kissing him again until he was straining towards her, then she pulled away. He listened intently to her moving around the room, the rustle of a bag and the click of a lid being removed.

He jumped a little when he felt her hands on his thighs, massaging them a little as she knelt down in between his legs. He held his breath when she ran a finger up his length, letting it out in a disappointed rush when she took it away.

"Hmm looks good enough to eat" she said and he swallowed when he heard the familiar sound of a can of cream being shaken, "Needs a little extra though" she whispered and he gasped in shock when he felt the cold of the cream hit the head.

When she was done he heard her throw the can onto the floor and he held is breath again, waiting for what he knew was coming. His hips lifted off the chair as she licked at the tip and engulfed him without any warning. He groaned, panting as she sucked him into her mouth, her tongue twirling around the head as she came back up. When he started to buck into her mouth she pulled back

"Not yet love" she whispered, her voice betraying her arousal.

He felt her lips brushing up the inside of his thigh, her tongue teasing him with light touches and then he was in her mouth again, crying out with the intensity of the feelings she was evoking inside of him. She pulled back again when he started to move and her hands gripped his hips pulling him forward slightly.

He groaned when he felt her straddle him, "Let me touch you" he begged as she gripped him, moving her hand up and down his length.

"No" she said and he could hear the smile in her voice.

He tested the tightness of the scarf and found that he couldn't move his arms at all, silently cursing her effective knots all thought fled when he felt her raise herself up and position him at her entranced, gasping with her when she lowered herself down, gripping his shoulders as she continued her slow, torturous descent.

"Fuck me Buffy!" he groaned as she sat still on his lap, her hands moving up from his shoulders to his face, her fingers tangling themselves in his hair. She moved her lips over his, gently brushing them and moving away when he lunged at her mouth. She leant forward and rubbed her naked breasts against his chest as she lifted herself up and he wondered briefly when she had taken that hot little baby doll off, his mind going blank as she slammed herself back down.

"Buffy, please" he begged when she didn't move again.

"You want me to fuck you baby?" she purred her lips brushing against his, a groan rumbling from his chest when she rotated her hips "Is that what you want?" and he felt her smile when he nodded, swallowing convulsively.

"Yes!" he cried when she began to move, leaning back slightly and resting her hands on his knees as she pushed herself up and down. He threw his head back as he felt her clenching her muscles around him.

She removed his blindfold and he looked down at her, her head thrown back and her breasts thrust out towards him. He ducked his head and tried to get at her nipples moaning in frustration when she shifted position and crushed them to his chest. She slowed her movements and he felt her hands move down his arms and tug at the scarf. As soon as she released his hands he gripped her hips and sped up her movements, capturing her mouth with his as he bucked up into her. Her breathy pants and whimpers driving him crazy and he could feel himself tightening. Moving his hand so he could reach her with his thumb he drove her over the edge watching when she threw her head back as she convulsed around him taking him with her.

She collapsed against him, both of them breathing hard. Once he was sure he could stand he lifted her up and threw her onto the bed, laughing as she giggled in delight and flipped herself onto her front.

"Don't get too comfortable love, it's my turn now" he growled, climbing onto the bed and rubbing at her still panty covered behind.

"Oh goody" she said looking over her shoulder at him then wiggled her butt against his crotch as he laid over her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

They lay there, side by side, both breathing heavily. Giles turned on his side facing her and brushed his fingers over the swell of her stomach.

"I think that counts as unforgettable" he said as he laid his hand flat.

Buffy giggled and turned her head to look at him, "I did promise" she said laying her hand over his heart, "although you didn't need to rip my panties off"

"Couldn't help it, when you said I could do that Ripper took over" he said moving his hand over her backside and giving it a squeeze, grinning smugly when the muscle twitched, "sore?"

"A little but it's definitely something I wanna do again" she said slapping his chest, "we haven't made love like that in years"

"Haven't exactly had the privacy for it have we" he said rolling onto his back, pulling her with him and settling into his side.

"You'll need to leave soon to pick the kids up" she murmured shifting her head to lay more comfortably on his chest.

"Hmm not just yet, Buffy?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you come with me into London on Friday?" he asked looking down at her.

"What about the kids?" she asked propping herself up on her elbow to look at him, an intrigued look on her face, "and isn't the monthly meeting on Friday?"

"Willow and Xander are going to be here and they said they would stay with them and yes it is but I want to take you to dinner"

"And what will I do while you're catching up on all the goings on in the meeting?"

"Well you could sit in there with us, there might even be things that you want to put your opinion across on" he said with a grin as she rolled her eyes, "Robin's going to be there via video link maybe you could make it interesting and talk to Faith the whole time"

"Ooh yeah okay, I can find out how Ella is doing" she said settling back down on his chest.

She felt his chuckle vibrate through his chest under her ear and smiled, "Soooo, will I need to get dressed up for this dinner on Friday?"

"Yes, does this mean you'll be going shopping with Willow at some point then?"

"Of course, I had to throw out the only dress I had that I could have worn because that demon inconsiderately exploded all over it"

"Ah yes how rude of him especially after you killed him quickly" he said with a grin, laughing when she smacked his chest.

"I'm grabbing a quick shower while you go and get the kids and then I'll make a start on dinner" she said swinging her leg over his thighs and leaning down to give him a quick kiss before climbing off the bed.

Giles propped himself up on his elbow and watched her walk into the bathroom. Smiling to himself at how lucky he was to have her he pushed the covers back and joined her in the shower.

"No hanky panky mister, we don't have time" she said as he stepped in behind her, reaching for his body wash he just smacked her on the butt and moved her forward so he could get under the water.

"I know but it's quicker to just share your shower than it is to wait for you to be done" he said as he spread the body wash over his chest and down his stomach.

"Shows what you know" she said pushing him back so she could wash off the suds. When she was done she stepped out of the shower, grabbing a towel as she walked over to their closet and pulled out a long black gypsy skirt. Throwing it on the bed she opened a drawer in the dresser and pulled out a red tank top as she rubbed down her stomach.

"I don't think I was showing this much with the others" she said inspecting the bump.

"You weren't" Giles said walking back into their room as he wrapped a towel around his waist, "Did Heath say if he had done a scan or if he just went off your labs?"

"Labs and a scan just to check everything was fine" she said as she pulled her skirt on.

"How the hell am I supposed to concentrate knowing you're not wearing any underwear?" he asked coming up behind her as she pulled on the tank top and wrapped his arms around her chest.

"How about every time you touch my ass I don't give it up for a week?" she said looking over her shoulder at him with a calculating gleam in her eyes.

He stepped back and looked at her in horror, "You wouldn't" he said, his fingers already twitching with the urge to touch her.

"You know full well I would my love, can you resist?" she asked wiggling her hips at him.

"You are an evil creature Mrs Giles" he said with a grin. He would play along for now knowing full well she would give in before he did.

He picked up his jeans and pulled them on throwing the boxers into the laundry basket before he zipped up, "Two can play that game love"

"Oh it's on Mr Giles" she said walking out of the room.

He followed laughing quietly as he fastened the button and grabbed his boots, "But you're in your second trimester and that means you'll crack before I do" he said. Seconds later he regretted saying it as she looked at him with an evil grin.

"We'll see and just for that we'll make it interesting. No touching whatsoever….with any body part"

"What does the winner get?" he asked cocking his head to the side and looking at her with interest while silently cursing himself for opening his mouth.

"If you win I wear the sexiest underwear I can find under my dress on Friday and if I win you have to wear a pair of my panties" she said walking into the kitchen.

He couldn't help it, everything inside him clenched in anticipation at her terms, either way he would have a great time, "That is acceptable" he said grabbing his keys and shrugging his jacket on, "I'll be back soon, do you need me to pick anything up on the way back?"

"Yeah we need stock cubes for the gravy" she called out.

"I love you" he called out already hating this damn game as she poked her head around the kitchen door and blew him a kiss.

"Love you too" she said with a grin and disappeared back into the kitchen.

Just as Giles opened the door Willow pulled up in the car with Abigail, "Hey Giles" she said as he passed her on the way to his car, "You going to get the kids?"

"Yes, Buffy is just about to start dinner so if you're staying let her know now" he said bending to open his door, "I'll see you when I get back"

Willow watched him drive off with a smirk and turned to Abigail, "Wanna bet they're playing another game and that's why he's Mr Grumpy?"

"Nope" she said with a grin as she followed her wife into the house.

Laughing, Willow pushed her way into the kitchen, "Hey Buff, you tormenting Giles again?"

"Yep" she said with a grin which grew when she saw Abigail, "What are you guys doing here? I figured you'd be 'busy' all day after being apart for two weeks"

Willow blushed and Abigail just giggled as she hugged Buffy, "Wow you're pregnant again" she said as she pulled back.

"Yep a total surprise but I'm sure Will already filled you in on the wackiness of the last week. You guys staying for dinner?" she asked as she went back to peeling the potatoes.

"Sure, what are we having?" Willow asked as she sat down on a stool, "and you're supposed to be relaxing"

"I spent the afternoon in bed, I can't get anymore relaxed, trust me" Buffy said glaring at her, "and we're having sausage, mash and a selection of veggies with gravy and Yorkshire puddings"

"Come on Willow lighten up she's fine" Abigail said as she sat on the stool next to her.

"Yes, thank you Abby" she said adding more potatoes to the sink assuming Xander would be coming by later, "I'm pregnant not dying"

"We're making sure you relax because you've not long woken up from a mystical coma and had your chest slashed by your sons girlfriend" Willow said stubbornly.

"I know and I am, like I said all afternoon in bed and this morning we had a slow walk around the town and bought the Christmas presents. I've sat on my butt for the last week while you lot ran the house for me, I'm letting you do the food shopping for the next two weeks and I have grudgingly agreed to just watching while you lot decorate" Buffy said abandoning the potatoes when Abigail got up and pushed her away to take over, "I promise I will take it easy with this one, I'm thirty eight, not exactly the best age to have a baby and as this one will definitely be our last I don't want to go through what I went through with Cara" she said sadly and Willow pulled her into her arms, holding her tightly.

"Uh, Buffy?" Abby said looking over at them, "Are you sure it's just one?"

"What do you mean?" Buffy asked pulling back from Willow and wiping away the tears that had fallen.

"Well I can sense two magical energies not one" she said indicating her stomach.

Buffy sat down heavily, staring at her in shock, "You sure?"

Abigail dropped the potato she was holding back into the sink and wiped her hands on a towel as she walked over to stand in front of Buffy. She placed both hands on her stomach and closed her eyes. A few seconds later she looked at Buffy with a huge smile,

"Yep, two and they're strong already" she said then frowned and pressed her hands down harder.

"What is it?" Buffy asked a little fearfully.

"There's something else I'm just not sure what it is" she said looking back up at her, "It's nothing bad though I promise"

"Oh okay, maybe lead with that next time yeah" Buffy said slumping in relief, "Have you heard from Xand today?" she asked Willow, Abigail going back to the sink.

"Yeah he'll be over in a bit, he and Dawn are teaching the girls the importance of research and not just running in blind today so he's gonna be no fun when he gets here and James is back from his research and retrieval mission in Australia today so Dawn won't be round" she said getting up and helping herself to a glass of wine, pouring one for Abigail as well and getting Buffy a soda. They talked about what Abby had learned while she was in Germany and about the three new potentials the coven had identified, Buffy pulling the packets of frozen veg out of the freezer and putting them in saucepans on the hob while Abby finished up with the potatoes.

"MUM!" they heard Olly shouting as soon as the front door opened twenty minutes later.

"In the kitchen Olly" she called back and a few seconds later he came barreling into the room and thrust a piece of paper in her face.

"Can I go?" he asked before she had a chance to read it.

"Let me read it and I'll tell you" she said as Olly dropped the letter on the island and ran over to Abigail, hugging her around the waist before hugging Willow and running back out of the room.

Buffy read over the letter and smiled. It was a trip to the Bristol museum which she knew Olly would love so she didn't see the harm in him going. Giles walked through the door looking a little tired and she smiled wickedly at him.

"What?" he asked looking at her warily.

"Guess what Abby told me about the babies?" she said and winked at Willow who was giggling behind her hand.

"That it's magical I'm sure..." he broke off and looked at her with wide eyes, "did you just say bab _ies_?"

"Yep turns out there are two of the little buggers in there" she said laughing when he stopped just before he picked her up in a hug.

"That's brilliant" he said with a grin.

"Why didn't you hug her? What's going on?" Willow asked warily looking between them.

"It's nothing, just a little game that's all" Giles said opening the fridge and pulling out the milk.

"No touching, if he wins I wear the sexiest underwear I can find under my dress on Friday" Buffy said grinning widely as Giles spluttered and turned to glare at her, "which reminds me, will you two come shopping with me tomorrow? I need to find a dress" she said looking at Willow and Abby.

"Sure how about we take the train into London, visit Victoria's secret, maybe even hit the designer shops?" Willow said looking over at Abby with a secret smile that had her blushing, "What do you get if you win?"

"Panties" Buffy said cryptically making Giles chuckle as he filled the kettle.

"Panties?" Willow repeated looking quizzically at them before her eyes lit up in understanding and she giggled, "Oh okay, do you have a preference Giles?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about Willow" he said with a smirk as he poured hot water into the teapot.

"Riiight okay" she said rolling her eyes and turning to Buffy, "I'm gonna make you pay for putting the image of Giles in a thong in my head" she told her with a scowl on her face which deepened when both Buffy and Abby started to laugh.

She turned and saw Xander standing in the doorway to the kitchen a horrified expression on his face, "Did I just hear Will say what I think she just said?" he asked quietly.

"Depends what you thought you heard?" Buffy said getting up and getting him a beer from the fridge.

"Giles in a thong" he said looking at her with wide pleading eyes, "that's wrong right? Tell me it's wrong" he begged her.

"Nope, he will be wearing one when he loses our little game" she said handing him his beer, "How was school?"

"Long, what game?" he asked shaking his head to dispel the last few minutes from his memory and sitting down next to Will.

"No touching" she said walking over to the fridge, giving Giles a wide berth and poking her tongue out at him when he put his hands behind his back.

"You know you guys act like teenagers right" Xander said twisting the cap off of his beer.

"We know" they said in unison and laughed at the eye rolls they got from them.

Giles poured his tea and disappeared to the basement to continue his research on the pull they had both felt back in Sunnydale while Buffy put the sausages in the oven and started to mix the batter for the Yorkshire puddings as she chatted away to Xander about the school and how the girls were doing.

Lizzy and Tommy both came downstairs after a while and both hugged Abigail before grabbing a drink, disappearing again to finish their homework.

Willow and Abby pulled the plates out of the cupboard, lining them up on the island and Xander raided the cutlery draw to lay the table as Buffy started to dish up the dinner. Xander made the gravy while Buffy went upstairs to get the kids and knock on the basement door for Giles.

While she was gone Willow pulled Xander aside, "Wanna make a bet?" she asked him as Abby walked past with a plate in each hand, shaking her head at them with a smirk on her face.

"See who can get them to give in first?" he asked with a grin, "sure, how much?"

"Twenty and we can do whatever we want to make it happen" she said with glee.

"No magic though 'cause I can't do that" he said narrowing his eyes at her.

She held her hand out and he shook it, "Deal but nothing that could cause injury" she said picking up the last two plates as the kids started to come down the stairs.

"Considering we'd be injured right back I think that's a given" Xander said with an eye roll as he picked up the gravy bowl and followed her into the dining room.

Willow and Xander tried everything to get them to touch each other during dinner but it didn't work. During dessert there was a knock at the door so Buffy got up to answer it, quickly side stepping Giles' chair as he pushed it back into her path.

"Nice try" she called back grinning at his chuckle. She opened the front door and stared at the old man standing there.

"Dad?" she whispered in shock.

"Hello Buffy"

"What...uh, how..." she shook her head and glared at him, "Where the hell have you been?" she asked angrily, "Me and Dawn have been looking for you for sixteen years!"

"I was in Italy at first and then about ten years ago I moved back to the states" he said shuffling awkwardly on the threshold, "I'm in London to help set up the office here and I thought I saw you a few months ago so I hired a private detective to find you, can I come in?"

"Buffy? Who is it love?" Giles asked from the dining room door.

When she felt him come up behind her she turned and wrapped her arms around his waist. He was about to gloat over his win when he felt her shaking,

"What's wrong? Who are you and why have you upset my wife?" he asked the man on the doorstep angrily.

"I'm her father" he said.

"Willow!" Buffy shouted suddenly and let go of Giles, leaving him to stand there glaring at her father.

"What?" Willow called back as she walked out of the kitchen stopping when she saw the scene at the door.

"Go get Dawn, tell her Dad's showed up" Buffy murmured as she came closer.

Willow nodded distractedly as she glared at the man at the door, turning around she went back into the kitchen and Buffy felt the familiar tingle as she teleported away. Turning back to the door she pulled Giles away as he glared at her father,

"Go tell the kids to stay in the dining room for a little while" she said tugging on his arm.

"You sure?" he asked her softly, bringing his hand up to cup her cheek.

She held his hand to her face for a moment and nodded, closing her eyes when he kissed her forehead before walking away.

"Why are you here now Dad?" she asked hugging herself as she indicated that he could come in, walking into the living room once he had shut the door.

She had just gestured for him to sit when she felt the tingle of Willows magic again, two seconds later Dawn shoved her way into the living room and glared down at their father.

"Nice to know you're still alive" she said sarcastically, "Did you suddenly remember you have children?"

"Dawn! Come sit, please?" Buffy said standing and pulling her sister to the sofa, holding onto her while she shook, with anger or shock she wasn't sure.

"I was about to explain" he said quietly not exactly shocked by the reactions of his daughters but saddened by it nonetheless, "When I heard about Sunnydale I waited for the phone to ring, for either of you to call and tell me that you were okay but it never did. I phoned a contact in the states and they said that there was no way to find out if you had survived or not until the missing list was published by the police, he promised to call me back when it was" he looked over at them sadly when they just sat there staring at him coldly.

"He phoned back two weeks later and said that your names weren't on it and that I should check any old phone numbers that I had had over the years to see if you had called them. I did and there was nothing. Turned out that the office in LA had had several phone calls from you trying to get hold of me so I knew you were alive but I had no way of contacting you and no idea where you were"

"We were here with Giles" Dawn said, "He has been there for us way more than you ever have including holding us up when Mom died while you were too busy screwing your secretary in Spain to even call us back"

"I know and I'm sorry" he said looking at the floor, "Did I hear you say you have kids Buffy?" he asked looking up at her with a hopeful expression.

"Yeah I do, three of them with another two on the way" she said wishing Giles was here with her so she could draw strength from him.

"What? You're having twins?" Dawn said whipping her head round to stare at her in surprised delight.

"Yeah, Abby clued me in when she got here" Buffy whispered with a smile, her gaze flicking over to her father as he watched Dawn hug her with a wistful expression.

"And Dawn, do you have any children?" he asked.

"No, I can't have any" she said pulling away from Buffy and glaring at him again.

"I'm sorry" he said looking away from her and out of the window, he swallowed and looked back at them, "I take it you're both married then, who...who gave you away?"

"Giles gave Dawn away" Buffy said brushing her sisters hair back from her face, "Willow and Xander gave me away"

"Your librarian and your friends from Sunnydale?" he asked softly regretting that he wasn't there for them.

"Yeah, Giles is my husband" Buffy said and as if she had called for him he came back into the living room, his eyes locking with hers silently asking if she was okay.

She nodded and reached out for his hand, pulling him down to sit between her and Dawn who he wrapped an arm around, trying to comfort her. Xander appeared in the doorway and caught her gaze, he nodded back into the dining room and raised his eyebrows. Buffy knew what he was asking and she shook her head, 'not yet' she mouthed to him and he nodded backing through the door.

"Are you happy?" her Dad asked them.

"Incredibly" Buffy said while Dawn just nodded, "So...you gonna tell us why you're here now?" she asked gripping Giles' hand.

"I need to give you girls something" he said reaching inside his jacket and removing two envelopes, "I found out a few months ago that I was dying, liver cancer" he said sadly, "and even though I would like nothing more than to reconnect with you again I know that isn't possible and that it's my fault so instead I'm giving you each a third of my estate, the other third is for your step mother and the tax man" he handed them each an envelope that neither opened or even looked at, they were still reeling from the news he was dying, "I left the names blank as I didn't know if you were married or not so I can fill them in now if you want" he said reaching for the envelopes, "What do I write?" he asked as he opened each of them.

"I married Rupert Giles and Dawn married James Sinclair" Buffy said still in shock and not really taking anything in.

Hank wrote the checks out to each couple and put them back in the envelopes, leaving them on the coffee table in front of them, "I would like to meet my grandchildren though if that's okay" he said looking at Buffy hopefully.

She blinked and looked up at Giles who nodded once, stiffly, and let go of her hand as she stood up. She walked to the dining room door and pushed it open, beckoning everyone in there to come out. She walked back until she was standing behind the sofa, her hand on Giles' shoulder as Xander and Willow walked out in front of Tommy, Lizzy and Olly, Abby and James bringing up the rear.

When Dawn saw James she jumped up and rushed into his arms, crying into his shoulder as he looked over at Hank with disdain. Tommy looked at his aunt sobbing in his uncles arms and then over at his mother who looked pale.

"Mum, what is it? Who is this?" he asked standing next to her. Olly stepped up on her other side and Lizzy stood behind him.

"It's okay, this is your Grandfather, Hank summers" Buffy said and all three children looked at him in surprise, "Dad, this is Thomas, Elizabeth and Oliver and that's James, your son-in-law" Buffy said pointing over at him.

Hank stood and smiled at his grandchildren, "It's nice to meet you, how old are you all?"

"I'm fifteen in February" Tommy said, "Lizzy is thirteen and Olly is eleven"

"I bet you're a heart breaker aren't you" he said grinning at Tommy.

"Not really sir, my parents taught me to be respectful and that my studies come first" he said and turned his head when he heard Xander snigger.

Hanks smile slipped a little but he took it in stride and turned to Lizzy, "what about you, do you have the boys chasing after you like your mother did at your age?"

"They can try but any that get too close soon back off, I've got a blue belt in Karate and an orange belt in kickboxing" she said, "Tommy's better, he's a black belt first dan in karate and a green belt in kickboxing. Besides the boys at my school are gross" she said making a face.

"I'm an orange belt in both and I think girls are gross" Olly piped up making Buffy laugh.

"So your all into martial arts then, that's good, maybe you can show your Mom some moves" Hank said grinning proudly at his grandchildren.

"You're kidding right?" Lizzy asked looking at him in surprise, "Mum knows way more than we do, it was her that started to teach us, and Dad" she said.

"Really? You know how to kick box?" he asked Buffy in surprise.

"You would know this if you had been around for more than five minutes in the last twenty three years" she said coldly, "You'd also know that Dawn graduated from Oxford with honors and can speak nine languages. You'd no that I teach self defense and history at an exclusive girls school in Clevedon and that I've been married for sixteen years, Dawn for six years" she said not telling him that it was her history and the history of Slayers that she was teaching.

Hank looked at the floor able to feel the hostility coming at him from the adults in the room, "You've built yourself a wonderful family Buffy, I can tell that they all love you both very much and I'm glad that you weren't dealing with everything on your own all those years ago. I know I should have been there for you, both of you, I have no excuse for not being there but I guess I just let work take over after you left and everything else just got in the way" he said looking between his daughters, both of them being held by their husbands and surrounded by their friends, his grandchildren standing close to their parents.

"I do love you, both of you, and like I said I know that a reconnection is not possible even though I would like nothing more than to get to know the women you have become" he paused and looked at them. Buffy had her eyes closed as she leaned back against her husband but Dawn was staring at him with a thoughtful expression on her face, "I'd like to come again if that's okay, maybe take you out for dinner?"

"Maybe, we'll start with coffee" Buffy said after receiving a short nod from Dawn and gave him a small smile when his eyes lit up in delight, "Maybe you could take the kids out one day as well"

"Really? That would be wonderful" he said grinning happily, "Well I should get going before your step mother calls out a search party to come find me. Cash those checks as soon as you can or she'll try and stop you from doing it" he said sadly, "She's a bit of a gold digger I'm afraid and thinks she lucked into me"

"Why'd you marry her then?" Dawn asked bluntly.

"I was lonely" he said with a sad smile, "here's my number, call me when you want to meet up" he handed Buffy a business card and walked over to the front door, avoiding their gazes.

"Dad wait" Dawn said pulling out of James' arms and moving over to him. She stood there awkwardly for a minute and then threw her arms around him, his shocked expression turning into one of relief when he hugged her back. Buffy just tightened her hold on Giles as she watched them hug, not quite ready to do that yet.

"I'll call you soon" she said instead and watched as Dawn let him out.

Once the door had shut Willow, Abigail and Xander ushered the kids back into the dining room to help clean up while Dawn and James sat on one end of the sofa and Buffy and Giles sat on the other. They both looked down at their envelopes and opened them, each pulling out a check and turning it over.

James and Giles looked at each other in surprise when they both stood up, their hands over their mouths in shock as they looked down at the amount on the checks. They looked at each others and they both burst into tears.

"Buffy, what's wrong?" Giles asked her as he pulled her back down to the sofa, James doing the same.

Without a word Buffy handed him the check, "Holy shit!" he said when he saw how much it was for, "Ten million dollars! Is he crazy?" Giles said in shock.

"What about gift tax or whatever it is?" Dawn said looking over at James.

"I wouldn't worry about that" Buffy said grimly,"I doubt the government knows he has this kind of money, they probably only know about the money he's leaving the wife"

"What makes you say that?" Giles asked handing her back the check.

"He's signed it Henry Rodgers" she said pointing it out, "And I think this is a Cayman island bank" she said pointing to the name on the top of the check.

"Are you okay?" Giles asked Buffy as Dawn and James stood up saying they were going to get a drink.

"I don't know" she said honestly as she put the check back in the envelope, "I don't think any of it's sunk in yet"

"I've got something that will cheer you up" he said as he pulled her into his side, resting his cheek on top of her head.

"What's that?" she asked twisting her head up to look at him.

"I won" he said with a grin, laughing when she shoved him away.

"That doesn't count, I was upset!" she cried, smacking him on the head with a cushion making him laugh harder.

"It does count so pay up woman" he said grabbing the cushion from her and throwing over to the sofa on the opposite side of the room.

"Fine" she said standing up, "but as it's an iffy victory I want you to wear whatever I buy you tomorrow"

"Deal" he said joining her on her feet glad he had made her smile, "Now I think a cup of tea is in order and then I want you to take it easy for the rest of the night"

"That actually sounds good to me" she said wrapping her arms around his waist, "now I have to check on Dawn before Willow takes them back"

"And you're really going to have coffee with him?" he asked her as they walked into the kitchen.

"It's coffee" she said looking over at Dawn who was in James' arms again, sniffling slightly, "It's an hour, maybe two at some point in the next few weeks, if I can manage to be in the same room as that outdated misogynistic prick Bainbridge without beating him to death then I think I can manage with my father"

"Fair enough" Giles said with a grin as she took over from James and comforted her sister.

"Do you think we'll ever go more than a week without any drama?" Xander asked him as he sat down on a stool.

"Don't be silly Xander," Giles said shaking his head, "This is us, a quiet normal life just isn't possible"

"Ain't that the truth" he said with a sigh, "What's the chances of anything else happening this week?"

As soon as the words were out of his mouth the phone rang. Everybody looked over at Xander who was staring wide eyed at the phone, "I didn't mean it" he said looking at each of his friends.

Giles walked over and lifted the phone from it's cradle, "Hello?" he answered and they all watched as his face drained of colour and his eyes widened.

Buffy smacked Xander on the arm, "This is your fault" she said glaring at him.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: See first chapter.**

 **Rating: T**

Chapter 9

Buffy stopped playfully smacking Xander when she heard Giles say her name. She looked at him and saw him standing stiffly, his arm outstretched with the phone in his hand, his mouth compressed into a thin angry line but his eyes were burning with fear.

"They want to talk to you" he said in a toneless voice and she just knew that she was being called to fight.

She walked the few strides towards him, inwardly seething that whoever it was couldn't handle it on their own and took the phone from him.

"Yes?" she said as she settled it against her ear.

"We need you, now! The school is under attack" the panicked voice shouted over the line. She recognized the voice of Shane Weathers the headmaster of the academy and she frowned.

"That's why you have four active Slayers there Weathers, to protect the place, why do you need me?" she asked not bothering to mask her annoyance. She ignored Giles as he turned towards her, his eyes pleading with her to say no.

"They're dead! They attacked exactly as you taught them but it cut them down one by one and then it laughed" he said and she could hear the sounds of the girls screaming in the background over the sounds of glass shattering and a heavy thumping that she assumed was something being thrown at the walls.

Buffy sighed and closed her eyes, feeling the loss of her fallen sisters for a second before she walled her grief away. When she opened her eyes again she looked directly at Giles, apologizing for what she was about to do. His eyes narrowed and he clenched his jaw, angry and scared but she could see doubt at the same time and she felt annoyed that he thought she couldn't do this.

"I'll be there soon" she said then hung up. She looked at Giles for a second before looking around at the others, "The school's under attack, the Slayers on guard duty are dead so I have to go" she said then turned and stalked out of the kitchen, breaking into a run as she headed upstairs to change into her Slayer gear.

She heard footfalls on the stairs as she pulled on her jeans, doing them up as she bent to retrieve her boots. She knew who it was and didn't turn as they entered instead she focused on getting ready, pulling on her long sleeved shirt and then snapping the thin, lightweight Kevlar vest around her torso. It was spelled to deflect magic and most demon toxins that could be spat or flung at her as well as serving its intended purpose of deflecting the majority of blows she might get hit with.

Giles watched her getting ready, his heart in his throat, and knew he couldn't stop her. It didn't stop him seething with anger at her decision to go, she knew he wanted her to stop, to think about it first.

"Buffy..."

"Don't" she said looking up at him as she finished tying her laces, "I'm taking Will and Xand with me they can concentrate on the girls so I won't have to worry about them" she looked up at him and he stepped back, Buffy had shut herself away and let the Slayer reign.

A part of him was glad of it, she was the greatest Slayer that had ever lived and was without peer when it came to battle strategy and tactics. But the other part of him, the part that loved her more than his own life…..

"No, not this time" he said stepping forward again and holding her still, his hands gripping her shoulders tightly, "The last time you went off like this we lost our daughter, they can do this without you"

Her head snapped up and he saw her green eyes flash with pain that she quickly controlled before shrugging him off and storming past him. He heard her footsteps on the stairs before he had even moved to follow her, seeing her blonde hair whip around the corner at the bottom of the stairs as he reached the top. He rushed down the stairs and saw her removing the scythe and his handgun from the weapons case under the stairs and disappear into the kitchen as she tucked it into the holster on her thigh.

His heart hammering in his chest, kicking himself that he had brought up Cara, he walked faster towards the kitchen. He felt Willows magic as he put his hands on the door and he shoved it open to see Abby, Dawn and James standing there with worried expressions on their faces.

"No!" he cried, punching the door back away from him, his worry and fear overwhelming him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Willow teleported them into the entrance hall of the academy. Xander ran off towards the back of the house as Buffy stormed forward and threw open the big front doors. She stopped at the top of the steps and looked around, extending her senses and felt the demons presence to her left. Walking softly she turned in that direction, seeing Sarah's body first and then Jackie's not sparing the bodies a second glance as she walked passed them, closing her eyes and shutting out the sorrow. She couldn't let herself be distracted by her grief when the demon and the danger she sensed was close.

Willow drew herself up as she watched her move away from the house, sending a prayer up to the Goddess to aid her and keep her from harm before she began muttering protection spells under her breath as she fortified the houses protections. Looking behind her at Xanders approach she saw his phone in his hand, his face twisted with guilt and heard Giles' worried voice coming from the speaker.

"Will where's Buffy?" he asked looking down at the phone when Giles stopped talking.

"Out there" Willow said pointing through the front doors just as she came flying into view, "Buffy!"

They watched as she twisted in mid air, land on her feet and then launch herself at the hulking figure that was running at her.

"Oh shit!" Xander said, fear thick in his voice, "That's a Lorash demon" he said looking at Willow with a fearful expression. The Lorash were savage fighters, used as soldiers in a long ago demon war and now they were used as hitmen. They were relentless and didn't stop until they killed what they were after or were killed themselves which was hard to do as they didn't feel pain, they also used weapons which was rare for a demon.

"Giles? We'll call you back" Willow said taking the phone from Xander and hanging up on him mid protest, "Buffy it's a Lorash!" she shouted running down the steps with Xander at her heels, a sword in his hands that he had grabbed from the rack by the door.

"I know!" Buffy grunted as she flew at it, connecting with a flying spin kick that knocked it backwards. Before it had a chance to right itself she attacked, her fists a blur as she beat it back. Lifting the scythe she gripped it with both hands and swung with all of her strength at its neck but it blocked the swing with an axe and backhanded her sending her flying backwards.

She hit the floor seeing stars as she felt the blood running down her face, warm against the chill of the air. She shook her head when she felt the vibrations of the earth under her as the demon ran at her and she flipped to her feet, bringing the scythe up in the same motion slicing through the arm holding the axe as it brought it down towards her.

"Didn't see that coming did ya?" she said with a smirk as the demon howled in pain clutching at the stump of its arm. It glared at her and started forward but Buffy was already on the attack, not bothering with fists or feet she pulled the gun from her thigh and leveled it at the demon, pulling the trigger over and over again until she had emptied the clip. She stood over the lifeless body and brought the scythe down, slicing through the muscle and bone of it's neck.

"Buffy, your head" Xander said coming up behind her as she wobbled on her feet. He caught her as she stumbled back, moving her hair out of the way so he could get a look at her injury.

Buffy shrugged him off and turned back to the house leaving them to follow. They looked at each other as they walked behind her, both of them knowing that Buffy was thinking of the last time she fought while she was pregnant, the demon dissolving into a puddle of smoking black goo behind them.

Xander guided Buffy away when they returned to the house while Willow rang Giles and told him it was done, asking him to tell Dawn, James and Abby to get to the school as quickly as possible, they needed to get new Slayers to protect the place and that meant they would have to stay until they got there.

Xander forced Buffy to sit on a chair in the sitting room and checked her face. There was a gash over her cheek bone and a bruise was forming over half her face but it had stopped bleeding and had already begun to heal. He cleaned the wound with a soft cloth, removing the blood with gentle strokes while shooting her worried glances. It wasn't normal for her to be so quiet and withdrawn and he wondered what Giles had said to her before she came storming back into the kitchen looking like she could spit fire at anyone who looked at her cross eyed. He finished cleaning the wound and applied antiseptic spray but she wouldn't let him put a dressing on it.

"Will?" she called softly, "Take me home"

Willow nodded and walked forward holding her hand out for her. Buffy gripped her hand and stood, smiling slightly at Xander before she disappeared.

When they got to the house Willow hugged her and vanished again, going back to the academy to help the others settle the girls and repair the damage. Before Buffy had a chance to return her weapons to the cupboard Giles barreled through the door and wrapped her in his arms.

"You're okay" he said in relief.

"Where are the kids?" she asked pulling away from him, still angry at him for what he said. She put the gun and the scythe back in their places and returned to the living room where she stood a little way from him and gripped her elbows, hugging herself as she looked over at him.

"Upstairs studying and playing on their computers probably" he said his eyes widening when he saw her face, "You're hurt" he said stepping forward and lifting his hand to her face, faltering when she shrank away from his touch.

"Still pregnant though, I didn't kill these ones" she said glaring at him as she sat down on the sofa.

"Buffy I didn't..." he said warily, seeing the anger in her eyes.

"Yes you did" she said softly, "You blame me for Cara. If I hadn't gone to fight that thing and left it to the others we'd have our little girl, isn't that right Giles" her voice hardening as she spoke.

"I have never said that!" he shouted watching as she closed her eyes forcing a tear to fall.

"You haven't needed to!" she shouted back jumping to her feet, "You looked at me with fear and doubt tonight, you didn't think I would be able to beat that demon tonight, I could see it in your eyes. You thought I would fuck up again and kill these!" she placed her hand over her stomach as she spoke.

"You didn't need to go! It's not all on you anymore! Why couldn't you put us first for once!" he shouted back letting the anger out.

Her eyes widened and she stepped back as if he had slapped her, "You...you think I don't put you first?" she asked, shocked, hurt that he thought that of her.

"Not when there's a demon to fight you don't" he said turning from the hurt look on her face, he needed to say this, "You rush off without thinking about what would happen to us if you didn't come back. We need you more than the bloody world does!"

"I'm a Slayer! It's pure fucking luck that I've lived this long and you know it!" she exploded at him taking a step closer, "It's who I am and sometimes I am the only one who can beat them back!"

"But it's not just you! You willingly risked Cara's life and lost and tonight you did it again! One well placed kick and our twins would have been lost!" he shouted stepping towards her.

He didn't see her hand come up but he felt it as she hit him. He watched in shock, his hand holding his cheek, as she ran out of the room. The front door slammed shut and a few seconds later he heard the sound of her car revving, the tyres spinning as she pulled out of the driveway.

He collapsed into a chair as the realization of what he had said hit him like a fist to the gut. He heard a noise and turned his head towards the hall his eyes closing when he saw the children standing there, Tommy was glaring at him, Lizzy looked scared and Olly was crying silently.

"I'm sorry" he whispered standing and walking over to them.

"Is she coming back?" Lizzy asked quietly.

"I don't know" Giles said honestly putting an arm around her and pulling her into his side as he bent and placed a kiss on her head.

"She was hurt" Olly whimpered, "Did she fight another demon?"

Giles blinked in shock and looked down at him, "How do you know about demons?" he asked him.

Lizzy huffed, "We've known for a while, we heard you and Mum talking about it with Uncle Xander and Aunt Willow last year, that was the family secret right?"

"Y..yes but it's more than that" Giles said looking down at her.

"Mum's a Slayer. She fights demons and vampires and anything else that threatens the world. She's super strong, super fast and heals really fast plus other things" Tommy said in a monotone, "Dad's a Watcher. They train the Slayer, fight with her, support her except Dad seems to have forgotten that"

"I haven't forgotten Tommy, it's just more complicated now" Giles said gently understanding that his son was angry at him, "Go on upstairs and get ready for bed, I'll make you all your hot chocolate"

"No thanks" Tommy said stepping back and running up the stairs.

Giles sighed and looked down at the other two, "What about you two? Do you want hot chocolate?"

"I like the way Mum makes it" Olly mumbled and followed Tommy.

"I'm tired, maybe tomorrow" Lizzy said giving him a small smile before following her brothers.

Giles walked slowly into the kitchen with his hands shoved into his pockets and his head down feeling like a complete and utter bastard and found himself reaching for his scotch. He poured himself a generous measure and moved back into the living room taking the bottle with him. He dropped into his chair and stared into space, lifting the glass to his lips as he replayed their argument in his head while he waited for her to come home.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Buffy drove down the M4 towards London, her foot pressing the accelerator to the floor as she replayed the argument in her head.

" _You willingly risked Cara's life and lost and tonight you did it again! One well placed kick and our twins would have been lost"_

He thought she willingly risked their daughters life to fight that demon, she thought he knew her better than that. The reason the demon had been able to hurt her like that was because she was so worried about the baby and was trying to protect it.

" _You rush off without thinking about what would happen to us if you didn't come back. We need you more than the bloody world does!"_

That was all she thought about when she headed towards a fight but she pushed it away so it didn't distract her, she had to. The last thing she wanted to do was leave them and she always fought harder to make sure that she did come home.

She felt numb, the anger having seeped away after she had sped through Swindon. She didn't know when she had decided to go to the townhouse in London but had found herself driving that way, having no where else to go while everyone was at the school cleaning up the mess.

She would need to call Willow when she got there, ask if she could get her some clothes and her toiletries as she only had a few bits at the house. She didn't know how long she would be staying there but she knew she couldn't be around Giles right now. She hadn't thought much beyond just getting away from him and felt a pang when she thought of the kids, she'd walked out on them too.

Sighing she looked at the clock in the dash and realized she had been driving for just over an hour when she saw the signs for the turn off to Reading. Wondering if Giles was sitting there with his scotch waiting for her to come home she reached over and flipped the radio on, using the buttons on the steering wheel she changed the channels until she found one that was playing an upbeat tune she hadn't heard in years.

Humming along to it and the ones that followed she used it as a distraction from her thoughts and ignored the urge to turn around and head home to her kids. It wouldn't be a good idea right now, she needed the distance from him for a while. She couldn't believe that just this morning they were buying Christmas presents and had spent the afternoon in a daze of passion only to end up arguing in a way they hadn't in years with him revealing the anger he still had over losing Cara and her striking him. Not to mention having Hank show up on her doorstep and tell her he was dying.

 _Guess the day balanced itself out,_ she thought, _good to amazing to crappy to really fucking shitty_.

Just as she was driving into Windsor her phone rang. She looked at the dash and saw that it was Tommy. Swallowing the lump that formed in her throat she pressed a button on the steering wheel and answered the phone.

"Mum?" his voice echoed in the car.

"I'm okay" she said softly.

"Are you coming home?" he asked in sad voice and she felt a tear roll down her cheek.

"Not tonight" she said her voice trembling slightly, "I'm sorry"

"We heard what he said" he said after a few seconds of silence, "It's okay if you need to be away right now"

She bit back the sob that surged through her at his words, he was too grown up for his own good sometimes, "How're you guys doing?" she asked once she was sure she had it under control.

"Lizzy's quiet, she's worried. Olly's asleep in my bed. I'm annoyed" he said and she could hear him pacing.

"Well don't worry, I won't be gone long. I just need a bit of space" she said, "tell your brother and sister that I'm fine okay"

"You and Dad never argue" he whispered and she realized he thought that she was never coming back.

"Of course we argue Tommy, it's normal, we just don't let you guys hear us and we haven't argued like that for a while that's all. I will be back"

"Okay, I've gotta have a shower before I go to bed, can I ring you tomorrow?" he asked her and she heard a door open and shut.

"Of course you can" Buffy said as she turned off onto Addison road, "I love you Tommy, your brother and sister too"

"Love you too Mum" he said and he hung up.

Sighing she slowed down and stopped outside their house. Digging into the glove box for the button for the gate, pressing it she waited for it to open and pulled into the drive, pressing it again to close them once she was clear. She dropped the button into the pocket in her door and grabbed her bag off of the passenger seat as she climbed out of the car. She wearily climbed the steps to the front door, digging through her bag for the door keys, her phone ringing again before she had even opened the door.

She looked at it and saw that it was Giles, sighing she rejected the call as she turned the key in the lock and rang Willow straight away.

"Buffy where are you? Tommy rang and said you and Giles argued and that you left" she said in a rush when she answered.

"I'm in London, don't tell Giles okay" she said as she shut the door behind her moving straight for the stairs and heading to their room, "Can you get me some clothes and things please? I haven't really got anything here"

"I'm not comfortable with this Buffy," Willow said sounding conflicted, "He deserves to know where you are he's probably worried sick about you, you know how he is"

"He blamed me for Cara, said I willingly risked her life and lost and then he said I did it again tonight with the twins" Buffy told her bluntly as she continued to climb to the top floor, wishing she had been lazy and taken the lift instead of the three flights of stairs.

"HE WHAT!" Willow shouted in shock.

"Yeah. I know it was my fault I don't need him to tell me that" she said her voice cracking, collapsing against the wall at the top of the stairs as the tears started to fall in earnest.

"Oh Buffy, no" Willow said softly as she listened to Buffy sobbing at the other end of the phone, "You know he regrets saying it right, he would never hurt you on purpose he was just scared that's all"

"I know that" she said through her tears, "I do I just…..I can't be around him right now. Will you get my things, please?"

"Sure, I'll go now and I'll stay with you tonight so you're not alone. Do you want me to tell the others?" Willow asked gently.

"No, they have enough to do, let Abby know where you are though" she said, sniffing as she stood and moved down the hall towards the bedroom.

"Okay, I'll see you in a bit" she said and hung up.

Buffy sighed wearily as she pushed open the door, trudging over to the bed and dropping down onto it. She put her bag on the floor in front of the bedside table and put her phone on top of it. She loosened the laces on her boots and kicked them off, slipping her armor off as well and dumping it on the floor as she lay her head down on the pillow.

The phone rang again and she lifted her head to see who it was, Giles again, this time she let it go to voicemail before turning the ringer off. She lay back down, staring at the phone as it would light up every few minutes.

It had been five years since they had lost Cara and the wound was obviously still as fresh for Giles as it was for her. She closed her eyes when the phone lit up again, giving in to the exhaustion she felt.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Giles was starting to worry. It had been over an hour since Buffy had driven off and he hadn't heard from her. He abandoned his third glass of scotch and started to pace, glancing at the clock every now and then, seeing the minutes tick by his worry increasing with every tic.

He could hear Tommy pacing in his room, the sound of his voice filtered down through the floor boards and he knew he was on the phone, to who though he didn't know. He decided to ring Buffy himself but was disappointed when the call was disconnected, he tried again straight away only to be told the line was busy.

Five minutes later Willow appeared in the hall and glared at him, "You're an idiot" she said and turned towards the stairs.

Giles raced after her, his heart dropping into his stomach when he reached his room and realized she was packing up some clothes for Buffy, "She's not coming back?" he asked in a flat tone as he watched her fill the suitcase she had pulled from the closet.

"Not right now no, you hurt her Giles" she said as she headed into the bathroom coming back out a few seconds later with Buffys toiletry bag shoving her toothbrush, toothpaste and other products into it.

"Where is she?" his voice trembled as the enormity of what was happening started to sink in.

"She doesn't want you to know" Willow said flipping the suitcase closed and zipping it up, "You know that she blames herself right, she didn't need you to tell her it was her fault and to tell her she did it willingly….what the hell Giles?!"

"I was angry, scared I...I didn't think" he stammered stepping closer to her, "Is she ever coming back? I can't lose her Willow"

"I don't know" Willow sighed and lifted the case, "I don't think she knows either but she does know she wants space and you should give her that"

"No I don't accept that" he said shaking his head, "She needs to be here, I need to apologize and the kids, they need her too"

"Tommy has already spoken to her and he said that it was okay if she needed to be away for a while" Willow said stepping around him and out of the room.

He followed her back downstairs and watched her pick up the book Buffy was reading, "Are you staying with her tonight? She shouldn't be alone" he said sadly as she pushed it into the case.

"Yeah I am, Abby will be round early in the morning to take the kids to school for you so you don't have to worry"

"I love her Willow, I never wanted to hurt her" he said desperately as she stood in the center of the hallway.

"I know Giles and so does she but you did hurt her. With how much you hurt over losing Cara, Buffy feels ten times worse. She had to give birth knowing that she wouldn't be able to take her home, that the only time she would hold her was laying in that bed. She never heard her cry, never saw her smile, never saw her open her eyes. She would have gone over and over what happened in her head trying to see what she could have done differently and I know for a fact that she has imagined what she would look like a thousand times over the years" Willow said gently, laying a hand on his arm when his breath shuddered and a tear slipped down his cheek.

"You know her Giles, better than any of us and yet you threw the one thing that nearly killed her, that wasn't demonic, in her face, told her she did it willingly" she sighed and drew him into her arms, "Just give her time, she'll come back, she'll miss you too much to stay away for long"

She pulled back and kissed his cheek before stepping back to the case and picking it up she disappeared. Giles picked the phone up and hit redial, listening to it ring and ring before he heard her voice telling him to leave a message. He hung up and rang again and again and again. After the tenth time of hearing her voicemail he stopped ringing, dropping the phone onto the coffee table as he collapsed onto the sofa. He hung his head in hands and cried, promising to do anything she wanted as long as she came home.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

He woke up the next morning stretched out on the sofa and the smell of coffee invading the fog around his head. He opened his eyes and saw Abby sitting on the coffee table with a steaming mug in her hands.

"Morning, here I thought you might need this" she said handing him the mug as he swung his legs off the sofa and pushed himself up.

"Thank you" he said roughly. He cleared his throat and looked around the room. He could hear the clink of cutlery against crockery but not the usual sounds of bickering and laughter and everything that had happened last night came back to him.

He looked at Abby and saw her kind, understanding smile, "Buffy?"

"Will said she was asleep when she got there last night but woke up during the night screaming. Once she had gotten her to calm down she held her while she cried and then watched her as she attacked the bag in the training room, they're both asleep now" she said gently then laid her hand on his arm, giving it a squeeze, "She's safe Giles, Willow won't leave her and Xander is going up there to take over from Will tomorrow"

"So she's not coming back this week then" he muttered hanging his head, "Where is she?"

"Giles I...I'm sorry but she hasn't changed her mind about you knowing" Abby said gripping his arm tighter when he closed his eyes.

"I really fucked up last night, I can't….I need to see her" he said looking at her his face a naked plea, "The kids hate me for making her leave"

"They don't hate you" she said gently, "they heard everything and are confused and scared that's all"

"They heard….oh god" he said putting the mug on the floor and burying his head in his hands.

"Give it a few hours and ring her again only this time leave a message" she said standing up, "let her hear your voice telling her you love her but it's going to take time"

"Thank you Abby" he said managing a smile. He picked his mug back up and sipped his coffee, his mind on Buffy.

"She said she'd be back" Tommy said from the direction of the kitchen door, "Last night, she said she'd be back so she will be, Mum doesn't lie about the big stuff"

Giles looked up at his son and felt a burst of pride at how grown up he was, "No she doesn't" he said with a small smile.

"Why did you say it?" he asked quietly looking at the floor.

"I don't know" Giles whispered closing his eyes as his own voice shouting the words that had made her leave echoed in his ears.

"Are you going to fix it so she will come home?"

"Of course I am Tommy" he said lifting his eyes to his son, seeing him staring at him intently, "did she sound okay when you talked to her?"

"Tired maybe but I could tell she was putting on a front" he said looking away from him and out of the window, "I've got to finish getting ready for school, I'll see you later"

"Have a good day and try not to worry, I'll bring her home, I promise" he said watching as he walked towards the stairs.

"I know" he said turning to face him at the entrance to the living room, he gave him a tentative smile and continued on to the stairs.

Giles finished his coffee and took the mug back into the kitchen. Lizzy and Olly were still eating their cereal and Abby was leaning back against the counter drinking her tea. He smiled at his children and walked over to the sink.

"Do you want any breakfast?" Abby asked him.

"No thank you, I don't think I could keep it down" he said, "You two nearly ready for school?"

"Yeah, just have to brush my teeth" Olly said jumping down from the stool and dropping his bowl in the sink.

"Me too and I need to grab my bag" Lizzy said following him out.

"You should eat something Giles" Abby said putting he cup in the sink and turning the tap on.

"Leave that I'll do it" he said moving over to the sink.

"Okay, I'm gonna drop them off and then go back to the academy to meet the others" she said stepping back to the counter by the fridge and picking up her bag, "if you need anything then give me a call. The others don't know about this yet, maybe you should tell them, they said they would be by later to see you"

"Thank you Abby" he said as she left the room. She nodded back at him and a few minutes later he heard the front door shut as he washed up the mornings dishes.

He thought about eating but the coffee was already churning in his stomach and the thought of adding food to it made it worse. He wandered upstairs and had a shower, the house seemed too quiet without her music playing as she did the housework, the sound of her voice as she sang along to the songs even the sound of her fists hitting the bag in the garage would be welcome right now.

He knew she was in London, Abby had said that Xander was going 'up there'. If she was at Willows house with her then it would be down and as the others didn't know that she had left yet then she wasn't at their houses. He left the shower, rubbing his hair dry as he walked back into their room and pulled out a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, already decided on what he was going to do.

Twenty minutes later he was on the M4 on his way to London. He could phone her but knew she either wouldn't answer or would just hang up on him, he could phone Willow but that wouldn't be fair on her so the only option left for him if he was going to talk to Buffy was to do it face to face.

He thought about buying her some flowers but immediately dismissed the idea. Buffy liked romantic gestures but she hated the cliched ones and turning up on her doorstep with a bouquet of roses after a row was as cliché as it got. To distract him from his thoughts he phoned Xander to tell him he wouldn't be there today.

"How's Buffy healing?" Xander asked him and Giles swallowed nervously.

"I don't know, we had a row and I said some things that I really shouldn't have and she walked out" he said as he indicated to move over so he could pass a slow driver.

"Let me guess you said it was her fault that she lost Cara, way to go Giles" Xander said sardonically, "you don't handle fear very well considering you're a Watcher"

"What are you talking about?" he asked frowning in confusion.

"You get angry when you get scared, usually that's okay 'cause there's a demon or a vamp for you to take it out on but when there's not you lash out at Buffy who is usually the reason you're scared" Xander said matter of factly.

Giles stayed quiet as he thought about what he said. All of the times they had really argued, more than a difference of opinion on something, was when she was running off to fight when she was pregnant or when the kids were younger. When she lost Cara it was one of his worst fears come true and her running off to fight last night had brought it all back to the surface.

"You're right" he said, shaking his head, "How did I not see it?" he muttered to himself.

"Too close to the situation maybe," Xander said, "Plus you're not really at full brain power when you're like that and you get tunnel vision, all you see is her"

Giles chuckled and found himself grinning, "All I've ever seen is her" he said his grin blooming into a full smile as he thought about her.

"Yeah, no shit" Xander said and Giles could tell he was rolling his eye, "is she on her own?"

"No Willow is staying with her and apparently you're taking over tomorrow"

"I am?!" Xander said sounding honestly surprised, "First I've heard of it, maybe Will was gonna phone me later and fill me in. Where is she?"

"The townhouse in London" Giles said putting his foot down when the traffic cleared in front of him.

"And by the sounds of it you're on your way there now and that's why you're not gong to be in later" Xander said with a small chuckle, "Did she tell you where she was?"

"No I figured it out when Abby said you were going 'up there'. Willows is down, yours is over and so is Dawns. We all say 'up there' when we're going into London" Giles said as he passed through Swindon, he was making good time, the traffic was light which was in his favor.

"That must be why Helen wanted to talk to me come to think of it and why Dawns been walking around here with a sour look on her face, women man," he said with a sigh, "they stick together like shit to a blanket don't they"

Giles laughed "That they do my boy and our women more than most"

"Yeah tell me about it….hey Dawn thanks for cluing me in" he heard him shout away from the phone. He heard her muffled reply and her footsteps as she walked over to him, " _What are you talking about?…_..Giles told me what happened….. _Is he on the phone now?…_.. yeah….. _Tell him he's a prat_ " with that he heard her walk off.

"Uh Dawn said…."

"I heard and she's not wrong" unable to stop the grin.

"So if Buffy didn't tell you where she was then I take it she's not expecting you" Xander said and Giles heard the sound of wood knocking together.

"No she's not"

"Oh...good luck then Giles" Xander said with false cheer.

"Thank you Xander. How are the repairs coming? And the girls, are they alright?"

"Slowly. The window guy can't come out until next week so I'm boarding them up now other than that there was no real damage to the building and the girls are dealing with it" Xander said blowing his breath out in a huff, "They all went out last night en mass and got the bodies, carried them back in and laid them in the hospital wing, they've asked Shane if they can bury them on the grounds and he said he would talk to you and Buffy about it"

"Tell him to do it" Giles said gruffly, "They had no family except us and it's only right that we have them buried on the property, Buffy would agree with me"

"Knew you'd say that" he said and Giles heard the smile in his voice, "I'm gonna get back to it, let me know if you survive"

"Will do"

They hung up and Giles turned the radio up so he couldn't dwell on the fact that Buffy might hand him his marching orders as soon as he walked through the door.

Half an hour later he pulled up outside the house and turned off the engine. He sat there staring at it for five minutes before he got out and walked up to the door. Fishing the key out of his pocket he opened the door and walked in hearing the faint thuds of Buffys fists pounding on the bag downstairs.

He walked down the stairs, the feeling of trepidation giving way to nervousness with every step he took down. He saw Willow sitting on the couch reading a magazine and Buffy was in the gym, red faced and sweating as she punished the bag with her fists and feet.

"Willow how long has she been in there?" he asked her softly making her jump.

"Giles! How did you know she was here?" she asked standing up and pulling him out of Buffys line of sight.

"You know full well how I knew, Abby wouldn't have been that careless with her words unless it was your idea" he said smirking at her knowingly.

"Yes well, she's miserable and it didn't look like she would cave anytime soon" Willow said her face turning a bright red.

"Thank you" he said with feeling and she smiled up at him, "How long?" he asked again indicating Buffy.

"An hour so far and she doesn't look like she's stopping anytime soon" Willow said softly, "I'm going upstairs to get something to eat, good luck"

Giles just smiled at her his eyes on Buffy as he slowly walked into her line of sight and entered the gym.

"Go away Giles, not ready to talk to you yet" she grunted as she let loose with a flurry of punches.

"I don't care I'm going to talk anyway" he said shutting the door behind him, wincing at her use of 'Giles' which she only used when she was really upset with him.

"Go ahead, have you decided to blame me for everything else that's gone wrong over the years as well?" she brought her knee up and kneed the bag sending it rocking to the side. She chased it down and danced around it as she performed a series of punch combos ending with an upper cut.

"Don't be ridiculous Buffy you know I don't blame you for Cara, I never have" he said then winced when she delivered a particularly vicious kick that set the bag swinging on it's chain.

"That's not what you said last night, last night I willingly put her in danger and lost"

"I'm sorry" he said taking a step forward, "You were doing what you were meant to and I lost sight of that last night. Losing you is one of my worst fears and when we lost Cara my other fear came true and last night…..it brought it all back"

Buffy stopped moving and held the bag still, resting her head on the leather and breathing heavily, "I know" she whispered, "but it doesn't change the fact that you said it does it"

"If I could take it back I would. Xander enlightened me on the way here by telling me that I don't handle fear very well and he's right I don't, not when it comes to you and the kids" he said taking another step forward, happy that she hadn't moved away from him.

"When you have something to fight you handle it fine" she said looking up at him with a half smile, "You think I don't know this about you, I've always known"

"Makes me the last to know as usual" he said with a grin rolling his eyes, "some Watcher I am if I can't even recognize my own behaviour"

She looked away, the half smile slipping from her face, "I was scared last night, I'm always scared when I have to fight. I don't want to leave you or the kids and it makes me fight harder so I don't but the only thing I think about is, is this going to be my last fight?" she looked up at him then and her eyes were brimming with tears, "I don't want to fight anymore but I can't stop, I can't ever stop until it kills me"

Giles wrapped her in his arms as she began to cry, great heaving sobs tearing out of her as she buried her face in his sweater, his own heart breaking at her words. "Ssh Buffy it's okay and you can stop if you really want to"

"How can I? We'll still be needed for the really big stuff" she sobbed into his chest her voice muffled.

"Yes but that will only happen once in a while, it won't be for the everyday threats like last night and you can continue to train the potentials" he said holding her tighter, "Retire from active duty Buffy, we can tell the council on Friday that they can stop calling you for everything and you can just give them your view on the situation, advise from a distance instead of doing it for them and actually be the consultant you're meant to be now"

She pulled back and looked up at him, her cheeks damp with the tears that still fell, "I can do that? Retire I mean?"

"I don't see why not, you've been the Slayer for twenty three years I'd say it was time you put yourself first don't you" he said brushing her tears away with his thumbs.

He bent his head to kiss her but she pulled away, "No Rupert, I'm still mad at you"

"I deserve that but will you come home?" he said his heart constricting with pain when she rejected him.

"I will but not now" she said turning away from him, "You should go, you need to be there when the kids come home from school"

"Not without you" he said shaking his head and turning her to face him, "I'll leave you alone, stay away from you, whatever you need but I'm not leaving this house without you"

"You'd do that wouldn't you, even sleep on the couch" she said looking up at speculatively and chewing on her lower lip, "I'm driving my own car" she said then pulled away from him and walked back into the house.

Smiling to himself he followed her retreating figure, his hands in his pockets so he didn't fist pump the air and resisted the urge to do a happy dance.

"I'm going shopping with Will first, I still need to buy a dress and live up to my end of the deal so I'll meet you at home later" she called back over her shoulder as she started to climb the stairs and Giles' smile widened.

He wasn't quite forgiven but he was almost there if she still wanted to go for dinner on Friday and if she was still willing to 'pay up' on their little game yesterday it meant the chances were good he would be completely forgiven by then.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: See first chapter.**

 **Rating: T**

Chapter 10

"Where do you wanna go first? Dress or underwear?" Willow asked as they drove away from Buffys bank.

Giles had reluctantly driven off in the other direction but only because Buffy had put her suitcase in his car and promised that she will be home once they were done.

"I don't actually need underwear, I have something at home that will do and he's never seen it so that's a bonus" Buffy said checking the way was clear before she pulled out of a side street.

"What?" Willow asked looking over at her and seeing the secretive grin on her face.

"Its a body chain," Buffy said grinning at Willows puzzled look, "It's a gold choker with green crystals in it that has a chain that goes down between my boobs and connects round the back, it has a chain that goes around my hips with a single chain that connects the top half to the bottom half over my stomach and one with green crystals attached to it connects all of it straight down the back"

"Wow! That's not exactly underwear though is it, you're missing a few pieces. How come you have it?" Willow asked surprised that she had something like that.

"Dunno, saw it in fetish shop, one of those ones that sell all kinds of kinky shit and just bought it" Buffy said with a shrug of her shoulders, "I've had it a while now just never had a reason to wear it and yes I know it's not technically underwear but that's the point"

"What were you doing in a fetish shop?" Willow asked with a smirk when she saw Buffy blush.

"Needed new handcuffs" Buffy mumbled her blush deepening when she remembered how the old ones were broken.

Willow snickered at her making Buffy roll her eyes, "So I take it you want a backless dress then to tease him with what could be around the front under the dress"

"Yep and I want it in white, gonna need some gold heels too" she said pulling up to the valet parking for Harrods.

They got out of the car and Willow lifted the strap of her bag over her shoulders as Buffy handed the keys to the valet. Buffy linked her arm with Willows and they strolled off towards Harrods.

"Buffy come here! I've found your dress!" Willow said excitedly half an hour later, rushing up to her and gripping her arm.

Buffy let her drag her over to a long white dress with a bateau neckline, straight skirt that would touch the floor even with heels on and long sleeves, she lifted it off the rack and saw the very low back stopped just above where her butt would start. She hung it back up and saw the split in the skirt that stopped mid thigh and smiled.

"It's perfect Will it's even my size" she said hugging her and lifted it back off the rack and took it over to the counter.

"There you go miss" the assistant said handing her a garment bag with her dress in, "Is there anything else I can get for you?"

"No thank you" Buffy said with a smile and draped the bag over her arm.

"The dress didn't actually take that long to find, now I need some shoes and a bracelet and we have to go to Hamleys and get something for the kids" Buffy said, "Food too, do you need anything? Or Abby?"

"No we're good but the food sounds like a good idea but nothing heavy ooh ice cream" Willow said pointing across the mall.

They walked over and bought a cone each, licking them as they walked around looking for the right shoes, "Hey Buff?" Willow asked as they stopped outside a jewelery shop, "didn't Giles get you that wide gold cuff bracelet for your birthday last year?"

"Oh yeah, I'll just wear that" she said walking away, "When my Dads cheque clears I'll have to try and stay away from here" she said as they stopped at another jewelery shop, going inside for the diamond stud earrings she saw in the window.

"What cheque?" Willow asked when they had left.

"Oh yeah, didn't get a chance to tell you" Buffy said as they made their way to Hamleys, "Dad gave me and Dawn a check each for ten mil, that's why I had to stop off at the bank, I needed to deposit it"

Willow stopped walking making Buffy jerk backwards, "Ten Million! Each!" she said in a squeaky voice.

"Yeah took us by surprise too but that's why Rupert gave me his credit card" Buffy said pulling her on with a grin, "Normally a very stupid thing to do but seeing as we'll be rolling in it soon he said it doesn't matter if I put a dent into his families money"

"Oh so that's why you didn't blink when the dress cost two grand" Willow said as they entered the toy store.

"Yep and it was totally worth it, Rupert's jaw is gonna hit the floor" she said with a grin as she picked up a teddy bear for Lizzy.

"How much are you gonna make him suffer until Friday?" Willow asked picking up a teddy as well. She knew Buffy hadn't forgiven him for what he said which meant the suffering was a given.

"Lot's" Buffy said with an evil grin, "We're talking slinky nighties and workout clothes while he's on the sofa suffering"

"Evil Buffy just evil" Willow said laughing as Buffy picked up a domino set for Olly and a sketchpad and pencils for Tommy. She also picked up a Lego set for Jesse as well not able to buy something for her kids and leave him out.

When they got to the till Buffy took Wills teddy off her and paid for that as well, giving her own version of resolve face when Willow tried to argue. On their way back through Buffy found her shoes, a pair of subtle glittery gold platform heels. Grinning, happy that they had managed to find everything in less than two hours, they made their way to the food hall and picked up a few dozen donuts for everyone then headed back to the valet.

After Buffy had put her things in the trunk and Willow had deposited the donuts on the back seat they drove off to find a McDonalds drive-thru for nuggets and fries knowing that they wouldn't get home before dinner.

Halfway home they stopped at a services and Willow ran in to get a couple of gingerbread lattes from Costa. As Willow was walking back to the car Buffys phone rang and she answered it without checking who it was.

"Hello?"

"Buffy where are you?" Giles asked trying, and failing, not to sound worried or panicked.

Buffy rolled her eyes, "At a services getting coffee" she said as Willow opened her door and climbed in.

"How long will you be? The children think I'm lying about you coming home"

"Hey Giles" Willow said as she handed Buffy her latte and a bag. Buffy looked inside the bag and squealed with delight as she pulled out a piece of chocolate cake, her current craving.

"What!? What is it?" Giles asked openly panicked now.

"Don't worry Giles I just gave her chocolate cake" Willow said sipping on her decaf latte.

"Oh for a moment there I thought you were being attacked" he said with a chuckle.

"We'll be another hour maybe more, depends on traffic" Buffy mumbled around a mouthful of cake.

"Sorry what was that? I didn't quite hear what you were saying as you inhale that cake my love" he said with an amused voice.

"Bite me Rupert" she said as she swallowed.

"Ask me nicely and I might" he said casually causing Willow to squeak and blush.

"Do you mind I'm sitting right here" she said glaring at Buffy as she laughed at her.

"You're gonna be waiting a long time for that to happen darling" Buffy said sweetly screwing up the paper bag and picking up her latte, "we're leaving now see you in a bit" she pressed the button disconnecting him before he could say anything else.

Willow shook her head and grinned "Evil, pure evil" she said as Buffy laughed.

Willow took Buffys phone from her bag as a text came through a couple of minutes later and smiled as she read it to her, "It's Giles, he says 'Love you too see you soon' with a few kisses and a winky face"

Buffy grinned and pulled out of the parking space, Willow turned the radio up once they got back onto the motorway and they thought up ways to drive Giles mad for two days.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Mum you're back!" Olly cried when they came through the door a little after six. The traffic had been brutal as they got near Swindon and had been crawling along for the last hour.

"Told you I would be" she said laughing as he hugged her round the middle.

"Hi Aunty Buffy" Jesse said waving at her from the living room floor.

"Hey Jesse, is your Mom and Dad here too?" she asked him.

"Yeah they're in the kitchen with everyone else" he said not taking his eyes from the TV.

"Okay good to know, Will change of plan" she said handing the dress and the other bags off to Willow and taking the donuts and the toys from her, "I'll guard the donuts you hide that dress in the spare room and wait there, I'll get Abby and Helen" she whispered to her and smiled secretively when she winked back and moved off to the stairs.

"Come here Jesse" she said as she gently pulled Olly off of her waist, "I have something for you, and you Olly" she said noticing his slight frown.

She handed them the domino's and the Lego set and they happily ran back to the floor to play with them, "Olly where's your brother and sister?"

"In the kitchen" he said without looking up.

"Is Aunt Dawn and Uncle James here?"

"Nope, he took her to dinner" Jesse said as he pieced together a Minecraft cave.

Smiling fondly at them she pushed her way into the kitchen, "Hey guys" she said as they all turned to face her.

"Mum!" Lizzy cried and ran over to her giving her a hug, "Dad said you were coming back but I wasn't sure" she whispered loudly making Giles and the other adults smile.

"It's okay, here I got you something" Buffy said and pulled out the teddy she had bought her. Lizzy squealed happily and ran off to her room with it.

"And I got these for you Tommy, I know you needed a new set" she said handing him the sketch pad and pencils"

"Thanks Mum" he said with a grin and followed his sister.

"Uh Buff?" Xander asked his eyes on the three boxes in her hand.

"Yes Xander?" she replied knowing what he was about to mention.

"Are those donuts from the bakery in Harrods?" he asked his eyes following them as she put them next to the fridge.

"Yes they are Xander" she said turning to face him, smiling sweetly, "Hey Helen, I'm gonna need to borrow you and Abby for a minute if that's okay" she said looking at each of them as she walked back to the kitchen door.

"Sure Buff, come on Ab" Helen said glaring at Xander, "Touch those donuts and I'll sic Buffy on you" she told him and laughed when he smiled back at her, trying to look as innocent as possible.

Buffy looked at Giles and smiled, resisting the urge to laugh when his whole body relaxed and he smiled back. She led the girls out of the room and up the stairs where Willow was waiting in the spare room.

"Right, I have dinner with Rupert on Friday and I have the dress and the shoes, I know what jewelery I'm wearing I just need help with ideas for my hair and make up" she said to them as she unzipped the dress bag hanging on the wardrobe.

"Oh wow, that's gorgeous" Helen said, getting up to turn it around, "You're gonna look amazing"

Abby who had been busy thanking Willow for the teddy she had just given her looked up and said, "What shoes are you wearing with it?"

"These," Buffy said opening the shoe box and showing them, "Gold jewelery too"

"Hair should be plaited and pinned like this" Helen said bunching her hair up around the back of her neck, "I could do it while Abby does your make up if you like"

"I mean I can do it myself but it would be quicker if you guys helped" Buffy said grinning at them, "I'll probably be getting ready in Rupert's office at headquarters as we're leaving after his meeting so would you all meet me there?"

"I'll bring them don't worry Buffy, where's your body chain?" Willow said putting her arm around her wife.

"In the back of my closet hidden behind my shoes" Buffy said as she zipped her dress back up. She turned to Willow looking at her thoughtfully, "You might have to help me hide the chain through the dress, I don't know if it will bulge through the material or the gold would be visible through it"

"We'll see on Friday when you put it on" she said standing up pulling Abby with her, "Want me to put the usual lock and password on the wardrobe?" she asked as Buffy tucked her things inside it.

"Please, that way he can't cheat and see it before it's on"

Willow grinned at her and she and Abby walked to the wardrobe holding hands. They each put a hand on the wood and muttered a few words in Latin before the wardrobe glowed slightly and they stepped back.

"Come on, let's go and rescue the donuts from Xander before he eats them all" Helen said linking arms with Buffy as they left the room.

Buffy knocked on Lizzy's and Tommy's doors as they passed and told them there were donuts downstairs alone with Xander and the women laughed when they bolted down the stairs in front of them shouting for Olly and Jesse.

They were still laughing when they walked into the kitchen and saw the kids and Xander helping themselves to a box of donuts on the island with Giles looking on in mock horror.

"Couldn't wait huh?" Buffy said removing the bottom box and putting it down on the other end from the kids.

"Na uh" they all said around mouthfuls of donuts.

Buffy smiled at them and pulled a plate from the cupboard. She opened the box and pulled out the two that were Giles' favorites and handed him the plate,

"There you go my love" she said leaning up and kissing his cheek, moving away and tutting at him while wagging her finger when he tried to capture her mouth.

She returned to the girls and pulled out her strawberry and cream donut and started eating. She kept her eyes on the girls as they chatted away and when she started to lick cream from her fingers she noticed Willow giggling silently as she ate. Buffy looked over at Giles and saw his donut stopped halfway to his mouth as he stared at Buffy.

She looked back at Willow and grinned, picked the strawberry from the top of the donut and sucked the cream off before she bit down on it. They heard Giles groan and they both burst into a fit of giggles, Willow only stopping when Abby asked her what was going on. They both explained what they had discussed in the car in a whisper to Helen and Abby and pretty soon they were all laughing as they ate.

Buffy removed five donuts from the last box and handed it over to the others to fight over when Xander tried to snag one from their box. "Why do you think I bought three boxes Xand? I knew you would be here" she said with a grin at Helen who just rolled her eyes.

"I don't know where he puts it, Jesse too" Helen said as they watched the boys all take another donut, Lizzy standing next to Giles with a glass of milk after she had eaten three of them.

"They're boys," Abby said, wiping her hands on a napkin, "We get boobs and cramps and they get the ability to eat whatever they like"

"When you hit fifty you need to be careful what you eat" Giles piped up as he crammed another jelly donut into his mouth, "It all builds up around the middle and you start to look pregnant"

"Better make use of the next twelve years then" Xander said cheerfully as he finished his sixth donut.

Willow shook her head as she poured a glass of milk for each of them, putting four in front of the boys and one next to Giles before pouring the rest of the milk out for her and the others.

"Can you show me what you plan to do with my hair?" Buffy asked Helen who smiled and placed her fingers on Buffys temples.

"Okay wow that looks amazing" Buffy said as her eyes unfocused, seeing what Helen was projecting into her head, "how long will that take?" she asked her when she was finished.

"Not long and it won't need that many pins either" she said around the last bite of her donut.

"Okay cool, I'll take the pins, make up and my jewelery," Buffy said winking at them, "If you guys could bring the dress and the shoes so he doesn't see it that would be great"

"We can do that" they all said together and started giggling again.

"The meeting starts at one right?" Buffy asked Giles grinning at him when she saw his look of confusion.

"Yes should finish around five and we have reservations at seven" he said frowning at her, "Why?"

"Well as long as I can get ready in your office then I can talk to Faith and Ella for a bit and tell the other head Watchers that I'm retiring from active duty then leave around half four to get ready" Buffy said looking around at them when she realized they had all gone silent, "What?"

"You're really retiring from active duty?" Xander asked staring at her, a hopeful gleam in his eyes.

"Yeah, like Rupert said, I've been the Slayer for twenty three years it's time I hang up my stake" she said looking around at them, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Oh Buffy thank the Goddess" Willow said and threw her arms around her.

That was the catalyst and pretty soon everyone but Giles and the kids, who were standing there with smiles on their faces, had their arms around her, "Having trouble breathing guys" Buffy said from under their arms.

"Sorry" they muttered, smiling happily.

"It's just that we're happy, we all worry about you when you go out and although you're supposed to be taking a backseat to all the Slaying the other Watchers seem to think you're on call twenty four seven" Xander said gruffly, his eyes bright.

"Yeah and whenever you go out it's not just Giles that gets scared, we just handle it better than he does" Willow said brushing away the moisture in her eyes as she grinned happily at her best friend.

"What they said" Helen said putting her arm around Xanders waist and laying her head on his shoulder. Xander smiled down at her before wrapping his arm around her shoulders and kissing her hair.

"Yeah ditto,"Abby said leaning over and gripping Buffys hand, "we all talk about how unfair the other Watchers are, I mean most of them have magic and they still can't figure out how to do it without you, we all think it's just laziness"

"It's going to be a shock to their system when I reiterate her position as consultant and point out that she is not their back up Slayer" Giles said putting his plate and glass in the sink, "they will have to fight their own battles and only call on her when it's a matter of an apocalypse that needs her experience like it's meant to be" he said smiling at Buffy as he picked up the empty glasses from the island.

"And on that happy note we're leaving" Xander said, "Come on Jesse get your stuff you have spellings to learn and a book to read"

"Oh but I wanna play with Olly and his new domino's" he whined.

"Now Jesse" Helen said frowning down at him.

"Fine" Jesse said stomping out of the room.

"You three have any homework?" Buffy asked her kids.

"Yep" they all said and traipsed out of the kitchen after hugging their mother.

"We'll go to, I have the report to write on the attack on the school" Willow said giving Buffy another hug and a kiss on the cheek, "So happy" she said then walked off to get her and Abby's coats.

"You're gonna look great on Friday" Abby said giving her a hug.

"Thanks to you three I will yeah" Buffy said with a laugh as she hugged her back, "and thanks for taking care of the kids this morning" she said when Abby had pulled back.

"Don't mention it, it's what you do for family" she said giving Buffy a smile.

Buffy and Giles followed her out of the kitchen to see them all off and stood waving at them from the front door as they drove away, Giles with his hand on her shoulder.

"I'm gonna have a bath" Buffy said stepping out from under his hand and making her way to the stairs.

"Any room for me?" Giles asked hopefully.

"Not tonight" she said softly and carried on up the stairs.

Giles sighed and went back to the kitchen to tidy up. A few minutes later Buffy called down the stairs to him,

"Rupert where's my book?"

He walked out of the kitchen and stopped dead at the bottom of the stairs, his foot on the first tread. He had looked up and saw Buffy standing there wrapped in a towel that gaped a little over her hip. He opened and closed his mouth a few times before his brain remembered how to work his legs and voice.

"I'll get it" he said his voice a little higher than usual.

She smiled at him as she turned and walked back into their bedroom. He walked in and caught a glimpse of her as she dropped the towel and climbed into the bath. He bent at her bed side table and retrieved the book, taking it to her as she sat back amidst the bubbles.

She had lit her jasmine, lavender and sandalwood candles and piled her hair on top of her head. The soft, flickering candle light made her look even more beautiful and he couldn't take his eyes off of her.

"Thanks" she said and reached out for the book in his hands.

"You're welcome" he said, biting his lip on a groan when she leaned back and he saw her nipples peaking out from under the bubbles. He reached out and tilted her head to the side, frowning when he saw the wound had almost healed, "Did Willow cast a glamour to hide this?" he asked when she pulled her head out of his hand.

"Yeah, I just didn't want to deal with the stares today, ya know the 'is she being beaten at home' stares" she clarified at his puzzled look.

"Ah okay, well it's healing nicely" he said runnin the tip of his finger over the surface of the cut.

"I know" she said softly opening her book.

He stood there for a few minutes more staring down at her until she looked up at him and cleared her throat, "Sorry" he muttered sheepishly and walked out of the bathroom, turning as he pulled the door shut he saw her smiling softly at him and he couldn't help but grin as he walked down the stairs.

He was in for a long couple of days if the whispered conversation and the giggles from the girls was anything to go by. His mind flashed back to her eating that damned donut and he groaned when he felt the twitch in his groin.

Shaking his head to clear the images that were rapidly filling it he went back to his task of cleaning the kitchen.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Finally Friday was here. Giles had been driven to distraction by Buffy for the last two days, walking around the kitchen in her slinky nighties at night and during the day wearing her workout gear. She had made him sleep on the couch as well and his body was itching to touch hers.

She hadn't allowed more than a kiss on the cheek or forehead since she had come back from London Tuesday night and what's more Willow, Abby and Helen seem to be in on it as they brought her pieces of decadent chocolate cake with them every night. Every time Buffy had groaned when she took that first bite, the sound had traveled directly to his groin.

"Buffy, come on love, we need to leave now" he shouted up the stairs.

"Coming" she shouted back and turned to Willow, "Right you, Helen and Abby come get me from the meeting room at four thirty which should be right around the time they'll be losing their shit about me retiring"

"Buffy I've got it go already" Willow said handing the box with her body chain and other jewelery inside of it over to her, "have fun making him squirm on the way up there" she said grinning wickedly at her.

They had all had fun coming up with ways Buffy could torment Giles while he was forced to sleep on the sofa and seeing the way it was working Helen was thinking of trying it with Xander especially when Buffy told them that with this much sexual tension being built up Giles would probably go all night.

"Oh, unlock the wardrobe before you go" Willow said just as Buffy was rushing out the door.

Buffy swore and changed direction, heading into the spare room. She put her make up case, her overnight bag and the box on the bed and put her hand on the wardrobe,

"Sunnydale" she said and the wardrobe glowed brightly for a second before a click was heard, "There you go, have fun with the kids and I'll see you tomorrow around dinner time" she said giving Willow a hug.

"Oh and tell the kids that it's okay for you to teach them something new and that the movie night you're planning is okay by me" she said grinning knowingly at Willow when she blushed.

"How did you know?" Willow asked trying not to look guilty even though Buffy had busted her.

"You're kidding right? Olly has a big mouth, how did you not know that?" Buffy said laughing at her friends irritation.

"I'm gonna turn him into a toad" she growled affectionately.

"As long as he's in bed before eleven go for it" Buffy said laughing, "I gotta go before he pops a blood vessel" she said when Giles shouted up the stairs again.

"Have fun" Willow called out as Buffy rushed off towards the stairs.

"About bloody time" Giles growled when he saw her, thankful that she was wearing a chunky knit sweater and jeans. He didn't know how much more he could take of her skimpy outfits.

"Sorry had to remind Will about the plan for her and the girls to get me from the meeting room and unlock the wardrobe" she said opening the front door.

"It's a shame Xander can't be there as well" he said opening the boot for her, looking intrigued when the box she dropped in there rattled slightly.

"Do I get to know what you're wearing now?" he asked her hopefully. Every time he had asked her over the last two days she had just smiled secretively and shaken her head.

"Nope, you have to wait until tonight" she said smiling at him sweetly.

"But what if we don't match?" he asked as he held her door open for her, pulling his trump card knowing that she was a stickler for this kind of detail.

"You're wearing your black suit with your dark green tie and the cufflinks I bought you right?" she asked as he sat down and pulled his door shut.

"Yes exactly, so what if what you are wearing will clash with the green" he said as he started the car.

"We'll match don't worry" she said and reclined the seat, "I'm gonna nap for a bit, didn't get much sleep last night"

"Why what's wrong?" he asked pulling out of the drive.

"Having these weird dreams, not sure if it's prophecy or if it's just my brain on chocolate cake" she said settling herself more comfortably in the seat and closing her eyes.

"What are they about?" he asked starting to worry.

"Don't know, they're jumbled that's why it's weird" she muttered as she let the sound of the tires hissing on the road under them and the soft classical music Giles had put on the radio lull her into a doze.

"Make sure to tell me when they get clearer, even if it is just your brain on chocolate cake" he said with a grin.

"Uh huh" she mumbled sleepily.

He glanced over at her and saw her head had lolled to the side, resting on the side of the chair. Smiling lovingly at her he reached over and tucked her hair behind her ear, turning the radio down a little when a more energetic piece came on and she twitched slightly.

An hour into their journey she woke up and removed her sweater revealing a spaghetti strap vest with nothing underneath it. Giles couldn't help but glance at her as she sat up and twisted her torso to face him when she threw the sweater on the back seat.

"How far did we get?" she asked laying back as she yawned. Placing a hand on her stomach, she shifted her hips and leaned more on her right side facing him.

"About half way, you can go back to sleep if you're still tired" he said trailing a finger down her cheek.

"Hmm I think I'll just doze for a bit" she said and closed her eyes.

Giles stared straight ahead for the rest of the journey, unable to risk looking at her fully as she had shifted onto her back, stretching at one point and nearly making him crash the car as she arched her back and groaned in relief.

"Robin's not due to phone in until three if you want to wait in my office" he said when they had pulled into the underground parking under headquarters.

"I think I might, these things are usually really boring" she said taking her things from him, leaving her overnight bag in the car.

"I know they are but at least you'll liven this one up my love" he said cupping her cheek.

"Yeah but that's not until later," she said leaning into his touch and resisting the grin when he closed his eyes in relief that she hadn't pulled away, "what can I do to make it more lively for you now?" she said tapping her chin, her eyes narrowed in thought.

Before he could say anything, her hand shot out and gripped the back of his neck. She pulled his head down and kissed him like she hadn't kissed him since Monday afternoon. He groaned when he felt her tongue slide over his lips and his hands came up and buried themselves in her hair as he opened up to her.

After a few minutes she pulled away, grinning at the dazed look on his face, "I'd say you're feeling pretty lively right now" she said, laughing when he shook his head.

He grabbed her hand and placed it over his groin, pressing hard as his hips involuntarily thrust forward, "What do you think?" he whispered in her ear then placed a gentle kiss on her neck below it, grinning wolfishly when he felt her shiver, "With the way you've been acting the last couple of days it's a wonder I haven't had a permanent hard on"

She pulled her hand away and smiled sweetly up at him as he adjusted his trousers and pulled on his suit jacket, "I don't know what you're talking about" she said innocently, watching as he reached into the backseat and removed his suit bag.

"Yes you do, you and those witches have been conspiring with each other to drive me out of my mind" he said holding his arm out for her as they walked to the elevator.

Laughing at his injured expression they rode up to the top floor, Buffy batting his hands away when he tried to pull her closer to kiss her again. They parted ways at the top, Buffy taking his suit bag from him and watched as he walked into the meeting room with his briefcase.

"Hey Verity, how've you been?" she asked Giles' secretary as she walked into his office.

"Not so bad actually, Jeff is back from his month long research trip in Africa" she said standing up and following her into the office. She liked Buffy, she was always kind to her and didn't expect her to run around getting her cups of tea or coffee like some of the other wives.

"That's good, did he find anything helpful?" she asked as she put her things down on the desk and hung Giles' suit on the bathroom door.

"Some dusty old scrolls in a cave that the translators are in heaven over" Verity said getting comfortable on the sofa.

"Let's just hope they're not another prophecy about the Slayer" Buffy said sitting next to her and rolling her eyes, "the last one that showed up every Watcher to an active Slayer were having strokes over it, would not stop ringing the house to talk to Giles, drove me mad"

"Yeah but they all seem to be about you anyway" Verity said with a smile.

"Yay, lucky me" Buffy said sarcastically, "well they're all in for a shock later"

"Why? What's going on?"

"I'm pregnant again, with twins apparently, so I have decided to retire from active duty" Buffy said twisting so she could face Verity, "but don't say anything until the official memo goes out okay, wouldn't wanna ruin the surprise" she said with a grin.

"Oh my god you're pregnant with twins!" Verity cried wrapping her in her arms, "That's amazing congratulations, was it planned?" she asked when she let her go.

"Nope, total surprise" Buffy said grinning happily.

They settled in for an over due gossip and before she knew it, it was time to talk to Faith. She said goodbye to Verity and made her way down to the meeting room, knocking on the door before just opening it and walking in.

"Hey guys" she said smiling at the others around the table, "Hey Robin, how've ya been?" she asked when she saw his face on the tablet next to Rupert.

"Five by five Buff" he said with a grin and she laughed at their old joke.

"Faith and that gorgeous little girl of yours about by any chance?" she asked him when she was level with the end of the table.

"Yep I'll just get them" he said and disappeared from the screen.

Buffy leaned in and gave Rupert a kiss on the cheek as she lifted the tablet out of the stand, "Sorry to interrupt guys, I just haven't seen her for a year and I want to catch up if that's okay"

"Not a problem Mrs Giles" Adrian Schubert said in his heavily accented German voice, "we need you to stay in the room though just in case we need Robin back"

"Not a problem, I'll take it over here so as not to disturb you too much, just let me know when you want him" she said with a smile and walked to the other end of the room just as a sweet little voice echoed around the room making the others smile.

"Aunty B where are you?" Ella called out making Buffy laugh.

"I'm right here sweetie" she said lifting the tablet up, smiling when she saw her face, Faith sitting behind her with a big grin on her face.

"Hey B, how've ya been?" Faith asked her as Ella clapped happily on her lap.

"Great, I'm pregnant again" she said as she sat down.

"Really wow, hear that Ella Aunty B is having another baby" she said looking down at her daughter.

"Is it a boy or a girl?" she asked her as she wiggled on her mothers lap.

"It might be one of each" Buffy said smiling at the look of wonder on her face.

"Twins! Rather you than me B, one's painful enough" Faith said grimacing.

"Hey I have something I want to talk to you about that you might wanna talk over with Robin but you only have until four fifteen to think about it" Buffy said lowering her voice so she wasn't overheard by the other Watchers in the room.

"Yeah what is it?" Faith asked lowering her voice to match Buffys.

"I've decide to retire as an active Slayer and wondered if you wanted to as well" Buffy said, "We would still handle the big apocalypses but that would be it"

"That actually sounds good to be honest, I'm getting pissed off with being called out for demons that the other Slayers can easily handle" Faith said, "I'll leave you with Ella here while I go and talk to Robin although I think I know what he'll say"

"Hell effing yeah?" Buffy guessed grinning.

"You know it" she said lifting Ella up as she stood, "You talk to Aunty B for a few minutes okay I'll be right back" she told her as she sat her back down on the chair.

"Okay Mommy" she said happily.

Ella talked to Buffy for the next fifteen minutes telling her all about her classes and what she was learning at school and the puppy she might be getting after Christmas and about the snowman she made with Faith the day before. She told Buffy about the girls at the American school all ganging up on Faith and the other slayers that were training them in a snowball fight and how Faith had managed to blow the microwave up by accidentally leaving a spoon in a bowl of soup and then she told Buffy about making Faith and Robin jump when she walked down the stairs and saw Faith sitting on Robins lap.

By the time Faith and Robin came back Buffy was in hysterics and had tears running down her face she was laughing so much.

"What's she been saying?" Faith asked after Robin had taken Ella away.

"You blew up a microwave" Buffy gasped "and were caught screwing on the couch"

"Oh my god, that little devil" Faith said blushing as she grinned, Buffy could hear Robins booming laughter before she saw him.

"She is your daughter, she's bound to just say whatever comes into her head" he said cheerfully as he kissed Faith on the head, "About your plan, we're in" he said seriously turning his attention to Buffy.

"Great I'll make the announcement then you can chime in and say you are too as the senior Slayer in America" Buffy said in a whisper.

"Sounds good so twins huh" Faith said, "Any names floating around yet?"

"We haven't talked about it but I like Hannah and Mason if it is one each" Buffy said grinning at Robins shock.

"Haven't you guys heard of protection" Robin said shaking his head.

"Funny, that's just what Xander said" Buffy said laughing when Faith elbowed him in the gut.

"Buffy" Giles called over, "we need Robin back for a minute"

"Robin you're needed" she said as she stood and walked back to the table.

She set it back in the stand and stood behind Giles, her hands on his shoulders as she watched the clock. When it had ticked over to four fifteen she gave him a little squeeze and he looked up at her and smiled.

"I actually have an announcement to make if you gentlemen don't mind" she said when Louis Dubois, the French Watcher, started to talk about her coming over to take care of a demon problem in Paris.

"By all means Mrs Giles, you have the floor" he said smiling kindly at her.

She smiled kindly back as she actually liked the old guy and moved from behind Giles to stand next to him at the end of the table, "I have decided to retire from active duty and only act in the capacity of consultant" she said and was met with a resounding shout of disagreement from most the Watchers sitting at the table, a few actually nodded at her.

She looked over at Faith, who was now prominent on the tablet's screen and rolled her eyes, she whistled loudly to get their attention. "As I was meant to be just a consultant from the beginning this should come as no surprise to you, your Watchers have been calling on me to take care of problems their Slayers should be more than capable of handling and I have had enough. I will gladly handle any major apocalypse as I have always done and will happily advise your Slayers as to their best course of action but I will no longer take care of it for them. I have been doing it for twenty three years and I see no point continuing when I am no longer needed to especially now that I am pregnant again" she said bending forward slightly with her hands pressed flat on the table in front of her.

"And I have decided to retire as well" Faith said, "I have been a Slayer for twenty one years and like Buffy said, your girls are more than capable to take over so don't act like babies and just accept it ya miserable fuckers"

Buffy grinned when they heard Ella say "Uh oh, Mommy said a bad word" even a couple of the Watchers hid grins behind their hands.

"And you support your wife's decision Rupert, and you Robin?" the Italian Watcher asked.

"I do" they both said at the same time, "I for one am extremely happy that Buffy has decided to do this because it means I no longer have to worry about whether or not my children will lose their mother and that we won't have to live through what we did five years ago when we lost our daughter" Giles said placing his hand over hers on the table.

"I feel the same way" Robin said, "And I feel comfortable saying this for Rupert about Buffy as well but I am also tired of seeing Faith hurt when she goes after demons your girls can handle"

"Well if the senior Slayers are being hurt on these missions then the less seasoned Slayers could be killed which just proves their Watchers right when they call on you" the Italian Watcher said with a self satisfied smirk.

"Actually," Willow said from the doorway causing everyone to turn their heads, "the fact that they're getting hurt has nothing to do with their experience and more to do with the jet lag they experience traveling all over the globe by magical means" she continued as she walked into the room followed by Abby and Helen, all three of them glaring down at the men seated around the table.

"And as most of your Watchers are, in actual fact, witches and mage's who signed up at the very beginning to help with the shortage of eligible Watchers, they should be able to aid their Slayers easier than Buffy or Faith" Helen said crossing her arms.

"We at the coven worked tirelessly to develop the bullets and shotgun pellets that your Watchers are supplied with to kill or at least seriously maim most demons, why aren't they using them?" Abby said laying the dress bag over the table.

"They don't always work" the Spanish Watcher mumbled looking down at the table top.

"They are not meant to work on all demons, only most of them" Buffy said glaring at them, "They worked just fine on the Lorash I took down Monday night"

"But what do they do if they don't work on a demon?" the Russian watcher asked, the only female to make it as a head Watcher so far.

"Then axes, swords, stakes and arrows should do the trick just like the good old days before we enlightened you all and brought you out of the dark ages" Buffy said sarcastically making the girls snort with suppressed laughter, "now if you will excuse me I have to get ready for a date, see you later Faith, kiss Ella for me"

"Will do B, don't do anything I wouldn't do" she called out making the girls laugh.

"Well there's not a whole hell of a lot you wouldn't do Faith" Willow said grinning at her.

"And aren't I thankful for it" Robin said with a waggle of his eyebrows.

"Eew way to much information" Buffy said smiling at Giles when he chuckled.

"See you in a bit love" she said as she left, leaving Giles to deal with the fallout of her decision.

"She can't do that surely" the Italian Watcher said as she left.

"She can and she should" Louis Dubois said glaring at each of the Watchers who were frowning, "She is right when she said that we call on her for situations that our girls can handle on their own"

"Then why do you do it?" Giles asked him surprised at the frank confession, "she has gone every time she was called, leaving her children at home with either me or her sister not knowing if she would see them again, so why take her from that when a simple phone call would have sufficed?" he glared at him, his chest heaving with the anger that was desperate to rip its way free.

"I can't speak for my colleagues but it was a case of wanting to see her in action, to show the girls that she is what they could become, she is a legend for a reason Rupert, calm yourself" Louis said holding his hands up in surrender.

"He is right that we wanted to show her off, maybe even show her parts of our countries but it doesn't change the fact that she is the Slayer" the Italian Watcher said defensively, "It is her sacred duty to fight the forces of darkness not stay home and be a mother"

"How dare you!" Giles shouted jumping to his feet, "she has earned the right to live her life as she wants to live it, so has Faith"

"You're a legacy, aren't you?" Faith asked from the tablet.

"Yes I am" the Italian said proudly.

"That explains it then, you're an idiot" she said sneering at him, "It was Watchers like you that put Buffy through the Cruciamentum, tried to kill me, dictated how we lived and died for centuries. When we started to rebuild the council we all agreed that it wouldn't be like the way it was, that it would not treat the girls like weapons and start to treat them like human beings and part of that was giving the girls we activated the choice and the chance to live their lives and allowing them to make decisions for themselves"

"But that is what is wrong…."

"Shut up boy" Adrian, the German Watcher, said sneering at him, "You have no idea what it is like to lose a Slayer, to train her, spend every moment together only to watch her die fighting a never ending war. You have no right to say that Buffy should die as a Slayer is meant to. She is the oldest and best Slayer to ever live, which includes my Johanna, and it is no longer necessary for her to fight unless her experience is an asset we will need to draw on"

"Agreed" the Russian, "we can talk this into the ground but the fact remains that she has more than earned the right to retire"

"I think the only one that doesn't agree is the idiot from Italy" Louis said glaring at him.

"I don't agree either" Bainbridge said from the other end of the table, "It is a Slayers destiny, her purpose, to die fighting evil. Never has one died of old age and they shouldn't"

"Luckily no one cares what you think" Faith said glaring at him. Like Buffy, Faith didn't like or trust him either.

"Well you should girl, my family have been Watchers for centuries and have been shaping girls like you all that time, we were also responsible for many of the customs that you people tore down and replaced with your own"

"I'm glad they did" Adrian said glaring at him, "It was your family that made it compulsory to teach Watchers that getting attached to the Slayer was dangerous and foolish"

"We were right, look what happens when Watchers become attached" Bainbridge said waving his hand at Rupert, "One of the finest families to ever grace the Watchers council and it's reduced to that, a man in love and married to his Slayer"

"Shut up Bainbridge or the next time Buffy wants to beat you to death I'll let her" Giles said not even bothering to look at him.

"As if I can believe you have that much control over her" he sneered at him.

"You're still breathing ain't ya" Faith said, "If he didn't have any control over her then you wouldn't be"

Adrian and Louis both coughed to hide their laughter earning a glare from Bainbridge. Giles was still going through the paperwork in front of him giving no outward appearance of having been affected by his words but inwardly seething nonetheless.

 _Maybe next time I feel Buffy tense when he's talking down to her I'll just let her go_ he thought biting back a grin.

"Adrian I have a question about your relationship with Johanna actually. If you don't mind my asking?" Giles said looking over at him, "You too Louis"

"Ask away" they both said.

"Did either of you feel a pull towards your girls? Or they to you?" he asked holding his breath for their answers.

"No, just a sense of protectiveness that I was powerless to do anything about" Adrian said sadly.

"Hmm, I didn't either but...did you? And Buffy?" Louis asked.

"Yes, both of us felt a pull towards each other and I have been unable to turn anything up on it in my research" Giles said blowing out a disappointed breath.

"I will look in to it with my own library and let you know if that would be of any help" Louis said absently and Giles could see that he had already heard of it.

"What do you know Louis?" he asked him watching him carefully.

"Just that I have read something of this subject. Three centuries ago I believe it was, a Watcher wrote in his journal about feeling a pull towards his Slayer. He put it off as part of his connection to her but he found out that she had felt one towards him as well. They gave in to the attraction and he wrote about feeling a shock go through him as soon as their lips touched, I know he looked into it himself but I can't remember what he found. Like I said, I'll look into it and let you know" he said nodding at Giles.

"That would be appreciated, thank you" Giles said gratefully.

He didn't notice the slight widening of Bainbridge's eyes at his mention of the pull or how the Watcher listened with interest, a sly smirk on his face as he sat back and pulled a phone from his pocket with a calculating gleam in his eyes.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: See first chapter.**

 **Rating: M Contains smut**

 **A/N: This is a filler chapter. It's needed to get us to the rest of it so bare with me please :)**

Chapter 11

"Oh my god" Helen gasped when Buffy opened the bathroom door and walked out.

Helen had plaited her hair into two loose bunches and folded them over each other at the base of her skull, pulling a few strands loose around her face. Abby had turned her into a forties movie star with her make up complete with bedroom eyes and a dark dusky mauve lipstick.

"Oh wow" Willow said as she walked over to her. She saw what Buffy meant about the body chain so she muttered a few words under her breath while passing her hand over her stomach and chest, "There, just a simple glamour that will fall when you take the dress off" she said with a grin, "you can still see your bump"

"Give us a twirl" Abby said and giggled when they saw that the chain did indeed tease at what might be in the front.

"Come on lets go and get him or you're gonna miss your reservations" Willow said taking her hand and pulling her from the office, Helen and Abby following behind holding their phones at the ready to catch Giles' expression. They all felt like teenagers getting ready for the prom.

The door was already open when they got there so Buffy stood in the door way unnoticed until Faith, who was rolling her eyes at the moaning going on at the table, looked up and saw her.

"Holy shit B you're looking hot" she said with a grin.

Giles looked up then and Helen snapped a picture of his face. His mouth had dropped open and his eyes had bugged out of his head. Buffy grinned and walked over to him her leg flashing him with every step and the heads of the other male Watchers in the room were following her trip across the room. Giles couldn't take his eyes off of her.

"We have reservations love," she said softly placing a finger under his chin and applied pressure until she had closed his mouth, "and you still need to get ready" she said then brushed her lips against his with a soft kiss before turning and walking back to the door, smirking when she heard his gasp.

"Hey B, what's holding that thing on at the front?" Faith called out and Buffy turned to see her smiling knowingly at her.

"That's for Rupert to find out later, if he ever gets ready that is" she said laughing when Giles jumped to his feet and began stuffing documents into his briefcase.

"Right that's it gentlemen, same time next month" he said looking at each of them in turn before walking hurriedly towards the door.

"But we haven't…." a young Watcher from the north of England started to object only to be cuffed round the head by Louis who was sitting next to him.

"Shut up boy he has better things on his mind right now" he said scowling at him then stood and walked over to Buffy.

Taking her hand he bent over it and kissed her knuckles, "You are très belle mademoiselle" he said once he had straightened up, "I hope you have a lovely time"

"Merci monsieur Dubois, I intend to" she said with a smile. And followed Giles' footsteps out of the room, the girls walking behind her giggling like teenagers over the picture Helen took of Giles.

Buffy stood waiting at the elevators for Giles knowing that he wouldn't be that long. Willow, Abby and Helen sat down on the sofas next to Verity's desk waiting to take pictures of the couple to show the kids, chatting happily away about the movie night they were having in a couple of hours.

When Buffy smiled widely towards the other end of the hall they all turned to see what she was smiling at. Giles was there smoothing down his hair as he walked towards them, a ridiculous grin on his face that made him appear younger than he was.

"It's a good thing I'm married" Helen whispered.

"It's a good thing I'm gay" Willow said, Abby nodding her head in agreement.

"Sorry ladies but even if you weren't either of those things he is all mine" Buffy said moving away from the elevators at his approach.

"Buffy, you look even more beautiful than you were the day I married you" he said gently cupping her shoulders and kissing her forehead.

"Right back at ya handsome" Buffy said smiling up at him, placing her hands on his chest and adjusting his tie. They stood staring at each other and smiling for what felt like an eternity.

"Okay stand next to each other now" Abby said breaking the spell.

"What, why?" Buffy moaned when Giles turned to his right and placed his hand at the small of her back.

"The kids want pictures and so do the girls at the school" Willow said holding her phone up.

Giles leaned in closer and pressed a kiss to her temple. Buffy smiled and closed her eyes as she leant into his touch and ignored the awws from the girls, concentrating instead on Giles' hand that was slowly caressing her butt through the dress.

"Can we go now?" Giles asked them as he pressed the button to call the elevator to their floor.

"Yeah go, we've got enough pictures and we need to clear out your office before we can go back and rescue Xander from Olly and Jesse" Willow said waving them away.

"Don't you mean rescue Tommy and Lizzy from Xander, Olly and Jesse" Helen said laughing as they walked away, their voices and laughter fading as they turned the corner.

"Shall we go to dinner my love?" Giles asked offering her his arm.

"Yes let's" she said grinning up at him as she slid her arm through his.

Together they walked into the elevator, Buffy resting her head on his shoulder as he pressed the button for the ground floor.

"I've ordered a car so we don't have to worry about parking" he said as the doors opened on the lobby, "I want to show off my beautiful wife"

Buffy blushed and smiled up at him when he guided her through the lobby, every gasp or whispered compliment echoing in the silence that followed them. They stepped through the doors and saw a car waiting for them at the curb.

Giles opened her door for her and waited until she was settled in the seat before trotting round to his side and getting in. He lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles before putting his hand on her knee.

They sat in comfortable silence as they were driven through the city. Buffy shifted over to sit closer to him and laid her head on his shoulder, her fingers drawing circles on his thigh.

"Keep that up love then we'll miss dinner completely" he whispered huskily as her fingers moved higher up his thigh.

She chuckled and withdrew her hand, "Normally I wouldn't argue with that but I really am hungry" she said rolling her head back to look up at him, "Where are we going anyway?"

"You'll see" he said kissing her nose, grinning when she pouted up at him.

Ten minutes later they pulled up outside Clos Maggoire, the same restaurant he had taken her to on their tenth anniversary, and she smiled brightly up at him. He stepped out when the driver opened the door and straightened his jacket, holding his hand out for Buffy as she swung her leg out of the car and glaring at the driver when he looked her up and down.

The driver gulped and shut the door, "When would you like to collected sir?" he asked as Giles pulled Buffys arm through his.

"An hour and a half should do it" he said nodding his head at him.

The driver tipped his cap and watched as they walked towards the restaurant before getting back into the car and driving off.

"Good evening, do you have a reservation?" the greeter asked politely.

"Table for two for Giles" he said taking Buffys left hand in his and guiding her in front of him as the greeter nodded and gestured for them to follow her.

Giles walked behind Buffy as she followed the woman out to the indoor terrace, smiling when he noticed that she was assessing the environment and taking note of the exits. He held her chair out for her when they got to the table and waved away the menu that was offered to him.

"We'll have the five course taster and I'll have the wine list please" Giles said as he sat down.

"You do realise that I can't have a drink right" Buffy said as she picked up the glass of ice water the waiter had just placed in front of her.

"You can have one glass love" he said as he took the wine list from the waiter.

He gave it a quick look and grinned, "We'll have two glasses of the Chateau D'Yquem" he said handing it back.

"Shall we talk baby names then?" Buffy asked taking another sip of her water.

"Ah yes, with two on the way it does seem a rather daunting task" he said with a grin as he reached out and took her hand, "do you have any you like?"

"Hannah Rose and Mason Randall" she said without hesitation.

"Not sure about using Randall love" he said with a frown which turned into a puzzled expression when she laughed and gripped his hand tighter.

"I was kidding with that one love" she said gently, "Christopher Mason, I can call him Kit for short"

"Hmm, Christopher Mason Giles, I like it" he said with a grin, leaning back when the waiter brought their food to the table, "That was rather easy, much easier than last time"

"Ah but we still have to decide on another name for each just in case it's not one of each sex" Buffy said helping herself to some duck.

"Christ, it took us six months to agree on Oliver" he said lifting the crab onto his plate.

They sat there eating steadily talking about the kids and what they were going to do over the coming month with everyone in the house and if they were going to find out the sex of the babies. Buffy was relaxed and happy as she ate, enjoying the alone time with Giles without the kids screaming or arguing in the background then Giles ruined it by mentioning her trip to the past and the reason why Willow had to be saved.

"I'm merely saying that we should be prepared for anything Buffy, the Powers wanted her alive for a reason and that reason may happen soon" he said after the waiter had brought their dessert to the table.

Buffy frowned at him, "Of course I knew there had to be a reason and feeling lost without her wasn't it" she said poking at her dessert, her appetite having faded at his words, "I mean those weird dreams I've been having for the last week or so are proof that something is coming"

"Can you tell anything from them?" he asked frowning.

"No just a vague sense of danger and I get feelings of rage and fear and I'm alone but that's it, the images aren't clear yet" she said pushing her dessert away without eating it.

"Don't you want it? I thought you liked it?" he asked her, worried he had sullied the evening with his questions.

"I do I just don't want it" she said and sat back rubbing her stomach, feeling the chain rub and pull as she sat up, "I need to get this thing off, I didn't realise it would be so annoying" she said with a frown, changing the subject.

"I thought that was my job" Giles purred with a salacious grin hoping to cheer her up again.

"Then we'd best hurry up before I go to the bathroom and do it myself" she said smiling at him sweetly, deciding to forget about the last few minutes and just enjoy herself. She caught sight of something over his shoulder and her face paled, "Wonderful" she muttered with a sigh.

Giles looked over his shoulder and saw her father and a woman he assumed was his wife being led to a table inside. He looked back at Buffy and signaled the waiter for the check as he watched her face fall and her eyes widen.

"Buffy, what are you doing here?" Hank asked behind him.

"Rupert surprised me for our anniversary" she said plastering a smile on her face as she looked up at her father.

"Is it your anniversary today?" he asked watching as Giles handed a credit card over to the waiter, "Are you leaving?"

"No, our anniversary was just over two weeks ago but I was sick and couldn't celebrate then and yes, we'd just finished when we saw you arrive" Buffy said placing her napkin on the table and swinging her legs round to stand and face him.

"You look amazing Buffy" he said with a proud grin when she nodded her head in thanks.

"How long will you be in London Dad?" she asked while Giles signed the cheque.

"Not long and then it's back to the states" he said sadly as Giles offered her his arm.

"Well if you don't mind absolute chaos and if you have no other plans, would you like to spend Christmas with us?" she asked genuinely smiling when she saw the look of delight on her fathers face.

"We have plans that day" his wife said looking at Buffy with disdain.

"They can be canceled" Hank said with a glare at her, "I would love to spend Christmas with you, Dawn and the kids"

"Well the guest house is free this year so you are welcome to stay until new years but you should know that it isn't just us, Dawn and James. Every year we have our friends stay as well" Giles said putting a comforting arm around his wife.

"You have a guest house" her fathers wife sneered at them and Buffy snapped.

"Yes we have, as well as six bedrooms in the main house and a seven bedroom townhouse in London, unfortunately none of the fixtures are pure gold but we make do with porcelain" she said angrily glaring daggers at the woman.

"Hank are you going to let the little chit talk to me like that?" she demanded angrily whirling on her husband who was grinning at his daughter.

He looked at her, his grin slipping from his face, "Yes" he said then bent his head and kissed Buffy on the cheek, "Let me know when I can come down and I'll be there…."

"With bells on" Buffy finished with a grin, remembering the times he used to say that when she was a child.

"Exactly" he said smiling widely.

"Am I included in these plans?" the woman asked, obviously not important enough to be introduced.

Buffy looked at her matching her disdain, "Not really" she said and made to step past her.

The woman lifted her arm and swung her hand at Buffys head which she caught, squeezing the woman's arm a little harder than necessary before flinging it away from her, "Don't" Buffy warned in a steely voice then continued to walk past her ignoring the stares from the other diners.

Giles smirked at Hanks look of surprise and then followed her, hearing the woman whining at Hank for letting her be treated like that. Chuckling Giles caught up with Buffy who had made it half way down the road and saw her staring angrily at a group of three people who were coming straight at her.

"Fucking wonderful" she said with a resigned sigh, kicking her shoes off and flinging her skirt back to get at the stake she had attached to her thigh then drew them into the alley so she could fight unhindered by the possibility of being seen by someone.

Knowing she needed to blow off some steam after the confrontation with her step-mother Giles bent to pick up her shoes and leant against the shop wall at the mouth of the alley to watch her.

Buffy was a blur as she fought the three at once. One vamp was flipped in mid air being staked before he hit the floor just as another grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked her head back exposing her throat. She punched him in the face and kicked out at the one coming at her from the front before whirling around and staking the one who had touched her hair.

"Not the hair brain trust" she hissed as she plunged the stake into his chest.

She grunted when the last vampire grabbed her around the chest and lifted her off of her feet. She struggled in his arms before going limp and dropping to the ground, getting a firm grip on his arm as she flipped him over her shoulder and staked him before he could work out what had happened.

"Feel better now love?" Giles called out when she looked up with a grin on her face.

"A little but now I'm all tense" she said with a pout, her eyes flashing with mischief.

"I think I should be able to help with that" he said with a wicked grin, helping her step into her shoes.

"Really and how can you do that?" she asked giving him a sly grin.

The car pulled up before he could do more than give her a wicked grin. After they had buckled up Giles told the driver to take them back to headquarters so he could get the car and leaned across the seat to whisper in Buffys ear,

"Is it wrong that I found that incredibly arousing?" he asked as he slid his hand up the leg exposed by the slit in her dress.

"It's only wrong if you don't do anything about it" she whispered back putting her hand over his and moving it further up.

She turned her head and captured his mouth as his hand moved over the top of her thigh and dipped between her legs. She smiled when he pulled back and looked at her in surprise,

"You're not wearing any underwear" he said in a whisper, "you said you'd wear the sexiest underwear you could find"

"And I am, you'll see" she said and pushed his hand away from her, stopping his delicious explorations as they pulled up outside headquarters.

"Come on love," she whispered stopping to nibble on his neck, his groan causing a shiver to rip through her, "the quicker we get home the quicker we can get naked"

Giles ducked his head and covered her mouth with his as he unbuckled both of their seat belts. He threw a fifty at the driver and pulled her out of the car and into the lobby of the building. Giggling, Buffy trotted to keep up with his long strides and once they had entered the elevator he had her pinned to the wall, his hand cupping her face as he devoured her, his other hand lifted her thigh up and rotated it out so he could press himself against her, letting her feel his need for her.

"Not here Ripper" she purred against his lips, grinning when he growled at the name, "I wanna do it in the pool" she teased his mouth with hers, "and the living room and the shower and our bedroom" she lightly nipped at his lips as the doors opened.

They made it to the car where he pushed her up against it, grinding himself against her hip as he pulled up her skirt, "I can't wait for the house" he growled against her mouth and dipped a finger into her, groaning when he felt how ready she was.

"Ripper wants to play I see" she gasped out as he pushed another finger into her making her whimper, "not here, get me home" she muttered, pushing him away from her.

She wiggled her hips and her dress fell back into place, "Tonight is going to be so much fun" she said with a sultry grin, "I think we need to go for a swim first" she said winding her arms around his neck.

"First I need to get you out of that dress" he said rubbing his nose along hers before kissing her gently.

"Then we'd better go 'cause if you keep kissing me like this then we won't ever leave the parking lot" she said between kisses.

Laughing he let her go and they climbed into the car.

Twenty minutes later he was slowly striping her out of her dress while they were standing next to the pool. Once he had slid the dress down she stepped out of the pool of fabric and turned to face him.

"Are you going to just stand there and ogle or are you going to help me out of this thing as well?" she said stepping closer to him and pulling his shirt out of his trousers.

"Can't you leave it on?" he asked his voice husky as he looked down at her undoing his shirt, the thin chain cupping her breasts and hips was the sexiest thing he had ever seen on her.

"No, the chlorine will ruin the metal" she said as he trailed a finger over the chain running down between her breasts.

"What if I don't care" he said following the chain under her breast when she raised her hands up to unfasten the choker.

"I do" she whispered as she let the chain fall to the floor. She bent down and picked it up, draping it over the edge of the hot tub she turned to him and grinned cheekily before taking a running dive into the pool.

Laughing, Giles finished undressing himself and watched as she surfaced in the middle of the pool and floated there on her back.

"You just gonna stand there Watcher man? Or you gonna join me?" she asked, her voice purposefully neutral.

He turned and pulled the curtain across the door before pulling his shirt over his head and dropping it on the floor. He dropped his trousers, kicked them off his feet and walked around the little kitchenette to the steps into the pool,

"I have to talk to you while you can't escape" he said as he walked into the pool.

"About what?" she asked still floating on her back at the other end of the pool.

"About what's coming" he reached out and grasped her foot, pulling her alongside him, his hand gently brushing up her leg, over her hip, his fingers trailing over stomach and up towards her chest as he moved along with his fingers, stopping at her head.

He smirked when he noticed her breathing speed up and her eyes slide shut so he trailed his fingers over her sternum and over her collar bone, up the side of her neck and along her jaw. Her lips parted as his fingers brushed over them, "I love you Buffy, more than my own life. You're not the only one with a bad feeling" he whispered as his fingers trailed back down her throat, "Every night I dream of you being taken away from me. Every night I wake to find you wrapped around me and my heart relaxes but the fear doesn't go away just because you are there and safe"

His fingers trailed back down her chest, this time over her breast, trailing them around her nipple, watching as it pebbled and hardened under his featherlight touch and then down over her stomach, his body occasionally brushing against hers in the water, "You are the only one who can chase my darkness away, who can take away my pain and fear but cause it all at the same time" he said huskily as his fingers found her center. Her legs parted for him and he grinned wolfishly when he heard her soft moan as he passed over her heat and trailed his fingers over the inside of her thigh.

He moved away suddenly and she sank her legs into the water, "Where do you think you're going mister?" she asked roughly.

"Don't worry I haven't finished exploring" he said seriously as he climbed out of the pool and trotted out of the room wrapping a towel around his waist. She swam forward until she could touch the floor and waited for him to return. He came back five minutes later holding a bottle of scotch.

"I can't drink" she said rolling her eyes at him as he put the bottle down at the edge of the pool and slid back into the water.

"It's not for you" he said as he waded through the water and gripped her sides, lifting her up and pulling her legs around his waist. He brushed his lips over hers then trailed kisses along her jaw and down her neck as her fingers wove into his hair, holding his head there as he gently nipped at it, trailing his tongue over the soft skin tasting the chlorine underneath her intoxicating flavor.

He lifted her higher when she started to grind against his hardness. He licked and lipped the skin of her breast, grinning at the breathy moans and frustrated growls when he ignored her nipple. Running his tongue under the swell of her breast he squeezed her backside before moving to the other breast, giving it the same attention.

She growled and tried to maneuver his mouth to her nipple, tightening her legs and grinding her throbbing core against his stomach trying to find some relief to the fire he was building inside her. She cried out when he gently bit down over her nipple and tightened the hold she had in his hair as he sucked it into his mouth, flicking his tongue over the hardened bud causing her to moan loudly.

He slowly slid his hand over her hip and between their bodies in search of her heat causing her to buck in surprise when he pressed against her clit with his thumb at the same time slipping two fingers inside of her. She pulled his head up and crushed her mouth over his, forcing her tongue into his mouth as he slid his fingers in and out of her heat. His thumb, pressing down over her clit, moved in slow circles in time with the thrusts of his fingers, the pressure of the water causing delicious friction that soon sent her over the edge, throwing her head back and crying out his name in pleasure as she came.

He removed his hand and waded over to the edge of the pool, lifting her to sit next to where he placed the bottle of scotch. She leaned back on her elbows, still feeling the after shocks of her orgasm, and watched as he lifted the bottle and poured it over her stomach so it ran down between her thighs, gasping in surprise when he fastened his mouth over her core and sucked and licked until the scotch was gone.

Giles groaned when he tasted her. Mixed with the taste of the scotch she was like a heavenly nectar and he greedily devoured her, wanting to taste her pleasure. Putting the bottle down he spread her nether lips and pressed his tongue to her engorged clit, grinning when she bucked against his face, her hand gripping the back of his head as he pushed his fingers back into her, bending them upwards to rub against that one spot that would send her over the edge quickly. He sucked hard on her clit, biting then flicking his tongue over it, repeating the pattern until he felt her walls start to spasm. He removed his fingers and quickly replaced them with his tongue, thrusting it deeply within her entrance as his thumb pressed down on her clit, pushing her over the edge. She came explosively, pressing her hips harder onto his face as he felt her walls clenching around his tongue, bathing his face in her juices.

He pulled back and dipped his face in the water, cleaning off his mouth and chin, moving back as she slid weakly into the water in front of him. She wrapped her arms and legs around him, holding him as he kissed his way along her jaw, nuzzling into her neck, his hands stroking her back calming her as she regained control over her breathing.

"Fuck me Giles" she whispered in his ear before tracing the shell of his ear with her tongue making him shiver, "I need you to make me forget all of the badness. I need to feel like we haven't got a sword dangling over our heads"

"I won't let anything happen to you" he growled in her ear.

She bit down on his shoulder hard enough to mark him and make him grunt in pain, "Prove it" she growled pulling back and looking into his eyes.

He gripped the back of her neck and held her still as he crushed his mouth to hers with bruising force, "What do you want kitten?" he asked breathlessly when he released her.

"You" she gasped out claiming his mouth again, catching his lower lip between her teeth and biting down.

He hissed and pulled away, "You have me, tell me what you want" he started to move her slit along his shaft, teasing her.

"You inside me" she said with a gasp as he thrust up against her, hitting her sensitive clit with the tip of his cock.

He pushed her back against the side of the pool, one hand squeezing her left breast, Giles kissed her again, deeply, his tongue exploring every inch of her mouth. She felt his hands slide slowly down her sides, leaving fire in their wake and shivered, knowing what was coming. She kissed him fiercely as he positioned her hips and entered her, slowly stretching and filling her.

They both stayed still, not daring to move. Giles was content to wait until she was ready, moving away from her mouth, he trailed kisses along her jaw gently nipping at her ear. He felt her move against him and his hands tightened on her butt, his fingers digging into the muscle in a bruising grip as he began to thrust up into her. He was stroking her so deeply, Buffy meeting every one of his thrusts with one of hers that she soon lost control. Her legs tightened around him as he felt her spasm against his cock, her head thrown back as she moaned loudly.

He kept thrusting, lifting her and bringing her down harder with every thrust of his cock inside her. He could feel his own orgasm building so he pushed her harder against the side of the pool and brought his hand between their bodies. Brushing her clit with his thumb in time with his thrusts, she began to move her hips faster, her nails digging into his back, she moved her mouth to his capturing it in a searing kiss, reveling in the feeling of her nipples rubbing against his chest hair.

Giles moved his hand back to her hip and lifted her up and down, harder and faster. The water rolling around them, matching the frenzied movement of their bodies as both of them gasped and moaned into each others mouths.

Buffy could feel her orgasm building again, barreling along at the speed of a freight train and when she felt his fingers tighten into the flesh of her hips, heard the carnal grunts escape his throat as he moved his mouth to her shoulder, his teeth gliding over her skin before biting down gently over her collar bone, it hit her like lightening.

She tightened her arms around him, dragging her nails across his back, burying her head into his neck to muffle her screams as she came, the three she had already had paled in comparison to the explosion she was experiencing now. She could feel his cock pulse as he shot stream after stream of liquid warmth inside of her, her walls clenching his cock and milking him dry, his teeth in the skin of her shoulder as he grunted with every thrust of his hips.

After a few seconds he calmed his movements, breathing heavily he held Buffy tightly against his chest as she whimpered, her hands stroking his back as they both came down from unimaginable heights.

"I love you" he whispered in her ear, smiling when she rubbed her cheek against his neck, turning her head in search of his lips. He turned his head and kissed her tenderly as his hands rubbed her back, smiling when she whimpered with the loss after he pulled out of her.

"I love you too" she whispered against his lips.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Buffy woke up the next day deliciously sore and extremely satisfied laying on her back with a silk scarf still tied around her wrist and Giles laying over her, his head on her breast, his arm wrapped possessively over her stomach and his legs tangled with hers. Smiling happily she stretched, feeling her muscles protest at the movement and Giles rolled over on to his back, grunting a little as he scratched his chest.

She leaned over him and gently brushed her lips over his forehead before sliding from the bed and wrapping her robe around herself, removing the scarf and draping it over his chest before tiptoeing from the room and heading downstairs for the bathroom instead of using the one in their room and disturbing him.

She was just adding another egg to the frying pan, a cup of freshly brewed coffee in her hand, when he padded down the stairs wearing pyjama bottoms sitting low on his hips, rubbing the bite marks on his chest and rolling his shoulder with a wince.

She smiled up at him as he stopped in front of her and gave her a quick peck on the lips, "I smelled bacon" he said around a yawn, "and coffee"

"Morning love" she said pouring him a cup and adding milk and sugar.

"Afternoon you mean" he said taking the coffee from her with a grin, "we have maybe five months before we can't escape like this for a while" he said sitting on a stool opposite her as she loaded his plate with toast, bacon and eggs.

"Less, twins are always born early and I doubt I'll be able to do even half of what we did last night in another couple of months" she said moving over her bowl of cereal next to him and sitting down.

"Aren't you having eggs?" he asked as he picked up a rasher of bacon and bit into it.

She made a face at him, "Yuck, no"

"Oh" he said with a commiserating grimace, "If it makes you feel sick then why did you cook it for me?"

"Because you like it" she said kissing his cheek, "besides I puked twice this morning, once when I got down here and again as the bacon was cooking"

"I'm sorry" he said rubbing her back.

"It's cool" she said lifting her spoon to her mouth, stopping before she ate it and grimaced at it before putting it back in the bowl.

"What's wrong?" he asked watching her push her bowl away.

"Smells weird" she said cupping her mug.

"Oh love" he said cutting up his eggs, "is there anything you do want to eat?"

"No, not really" she said miserably, "no cravings yet other than the chocolate cake and I don't want that for breakfast, lunch, whatever"

"When you figure out what you do want let me know and I'll get it for you or make it" he said taking her hand in his and bringing it up to his lips.

She smiled at him and took her hand back, "Enjoy your breakfast, I'm gonna have a shower before we have to leave"

"Should we call…."

"Already called them and the kids had fun, Xander may never want to babysit again but fun was had" she said with a chuckle.

"Why what happened?" he asked warily.

"Olly and Jesse made him sprout fur all over his body and after Will, Helen and Abby stopped laughing it took them an hour to figure out how they had done it and then another twenty minutes to reverse it and he had started to grow a tail by then" she said trying not to laugh as Giles buried his head in his arms giving in to the laughter. "Turns out they wanted a dog and tried to conjure one but got the words mixed up….stop laughing" she said laughing herself when she saw his shoulders shaking and heard the little grunts muffled by his arms.

"I'm sorry but….tell me they at least got a picture before they turned him back?" Giles said lifting his head from the counter top, looking at her with tears running down his face.

"They did, several, apparently Will is obsessed with the picture taking lately" she said rolling her eyes and taking her dishes to the sink.

He wiped his eyes and sat up, "That's because of your little trip to the past to change her fate" he said looking at her seriously, "I know you don't want to talk about this but we have to at some point" he said in response to her eye roll.

"And we will, when there is something to talk about" she said walking towards the stairs effectively ending the conversation.

He sighed and went back to his breakfast as the distant sound of the shower starting echoed down to him. He was worried that something bad was coming and knew she was too and her refusal to talk about it frustrated him, they needed a plan in place in case something did happen. He finished his breakfast and washed up before going upstairs and joining her in the shower.

An hour later they were in the car and on the way home, Buffy rubbing her bump and grimacing.

"Are you hungry?" Giles asked as they stopped at a red light.

"No, I just feel weird" she said looking over at him with a worried frown, "I don't know but I think it's a bad feeling, haven't had one for a while" she said giving him a small smile.

"A bad feeling?" he asked glancing at her out of the corner of his eye as he pulled away from the light.

"Yeah but..." she stopped and frowned out of the window, "but it feels more like a warning, like the type I used to get years ago with the dreams before a big bad would show up and all hell would break loose"

"What?!" he said pulling over to the side of the road so he could give her all of her attention.

"Don't panic, it feels like we have time but until the dreams get clearer I can't even give you anything to research" she said shifting in her seat so she could face him.

"What have you seen in your dreams so far, maybe I could work off of that?" he asked her trying to reign in his panic.

"I told you last night that it was just feelings – I'm alone and scared but really angry," she frowned as she thought about what she had seen, "it's dark and I feel confined, trapped, but there's nothing else" she said looking up at him, rolling her eyes when she saw his clenched jaw and pensive expression.

"Will you tell me if you see anything else other than that?" he asked her turning back to the steering wheel and putting the car in gear.

"Of course I will" she said slightly offended that he had to ask.

He nodded and indicated to pull back into traffic. He knew she would tell him as and when things got clearer but at least now she would tell him as soon as it happened and not later in the day.

They drove on in silence, both contemplating what the dreams she had had so far actually meant, both knowing that if she felt alone, scared and angry then it was entirely likely that she would be in danger at some point in the future and until they had more to go on neither of them wanted to discuss it.

When they pulled into the driveway they both grinned at the yule tree that had been decorated next to the garage and the Christmas lights that were visible inside.

"They jumped the gun" Buffy said taking his hand as they sat there listening to the engine tick over.

"Indeed" Giles said still distracted by their earlier conversation.

"Rupert, don't okay" she said squeezing his hand, "we're prepared enough that I won't go out alone, I can promise you that and we have three witches in there that are scary when they're pissed"

"I know and thank you for promising but we both know that if you're having dreams then it's going to happen no matter what we do" he said in a pained voice, "I don't want to lose you" he whispered.

"And you won't" she said fiercely making him look at her, "now stop moping and let's go inside before Will notices us sitting here and starts asking even more questions than she was planning to already"

He grinned at her and rolled his eyes. Leaning forward he kissed her head and pushed open his door, getting out and opening the boot to retrieve their bags as Buffy sat there staring at his seat. Her smile had vanished as soon as he had stood up, she couldn't bring herself to tell him that this time she was really scared because the dreams also showed that she was still pregnant and, judging by the size of her bump, it wasn't that far into the future.

Shaking herself out of her self imposed dark mood she opened her door just as the front door opened and Willow came out, a worried look on her face.

"What's up Will?" Buffy asked her as she shut the car door.

"Abby said there's something she needs to talk to you about but she isn't back from the coven yet, she sounded really worried and also a little excited and Louis called wanting to talk to you Giles but he didn't say what he wanted, he sounded excited as well so what the hell's going on?" she asked taking a deep breath as she looked between them, her eyes wide with worry and curiosity.

"Uh Will?" Buffy said touching her arm and bringing her focus back to her, "Hi, uh you been at the coffee?"

"What? No, honest I haven't it's just Abby calls and tells me that and then Louis calls and…."

"Breath Willow" Giles said fondly, "Louis probably has the information he said he would look for about the pull Buffy and I felt towards each other and the coven has probably found another prophecy regarding Buffy that's all"

"Oh okay so nothing bad then?" she asked taking a relieved breath.

"I doubt it, now I have something I need to ask you" he said putting an arm around her shoulders, "where is this picture of Xander covered in fur?"

Buffy burst out laughing at Willows evil grin and followed them in, the bad feeling and the dreams forgotten for the time being.

"Hey Xand, did ya have fun?" Buffy asked him as soon as she walked through the front door, "where are the kids?"

"It was great until the little monsters tried to turn me into a dog" he grumbled from the couch, his attention on the newspaper open on his lap, "and the kids are out with Helen, she took them to the shop for some bits"

Buffy looked over at the kitchen door when they heard Giles' booming laugh and Xander cringed knowing that Willow was showing him the pictures.

"You and Helen all moved in for the next month?" she asked plopping down in the couch next to him.

"Yep and so is Will and Abby it's just Dawn and James left but they're in London seeing your Dad for lunch" he said still not looking at her.

"What's up Xand?" she asked him ducking her head to try and get a look at his face.

"Nothing" he said looking up at her with wide eyed innocence.

"Yeah right, spill it"

"Okay yeah you might wanna talk to Tommy, he has it in his head he's going to become a Watcher and that you and Giles are okay with it" he said looking down at the paper again, his shoulders tensed for the explosion he thought was coming.

"It's okay Xand, he ran it past us after Melissa clawed me up and we're good with it" she said with a grin at his shocked look.

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, were you expecting a full on melt down because he's decided to follow in his fathers footsteps?" she asked amused.

"Well no but I thought you would try and stop him I mean why would you want him to do this?" Xander asked setting aside the paper.

"I don't want him to do this but it's his choice" she said patting him on the knee, "why did you decide to become a Watcher?"

"Because I wanted to help you and Giles and all the baby Slayers but I knew what I was getting into" he said seriously.

"So does he, he read our diaries" she said looking down at the floor, "he's my son Xand, he wasn't ever gonna be anything else"

"So he knows everything that happened to us all those years ago? All of it?" he asked warily with his eyes closed.

"Yep, everything" she said trying not to laugh at his resigned sigh, "sorry Xand"

"It's Giles' fault, he taught him how to read" Xander grumbled as the phone rang.

Laughing Buffy got up to answer the phone, "Hello?"

"Ah Buffy, good you're home" Louis said sounding relieved.

"Yeah why, what's wrong?" she asked signaling Xander to go and get Giles.

"I found the diary I was telling Rupert about, the pull you and Rupert experienced was a sign of a much larger plan for you both. Previous pairs who had felt the pull were either unable or prevented to follow it to it's conclusion" he said solemnly.

"And that plan is?" Buffy asked casting Giles a worried look.

"I have no idea I haven't gotten that far in my research yet but would you tell Rupert what I have discovered so far?" he asked her.

"Of course" she said, "Thank you Louis. I think you should know that Abigail wants to talk to me about something the coven has discovered, might have something to do with the scrolls that Jeff and his team brought back from Africa and it could also be connected to all of this"

"Will you or Rupert let me know what it is? You're right it might all be connected" he said distractedly and she could hear pages being turned in the background.

"You'll know when we do" she said then hung up when he muttered a farewell.

"Okay, Louis said that our pull is a sign of a much larger plan for us and that previous Watcher Slayer teams that felt it were either unable or prevented to follow it" she told Giles as Willow and Xander looked on, "he also agrees that whatever it is Abby wants to talk to us about may be connected to all of it"

"Did he say if he knew what the plan is?" Giles asked her.

"He hasn't got that far yet but he wants to know what Abby says" she said chewing on her lip, "you can phone him back later I don't think I want to know until we have all of the info"

"Okay" he said pulling her into his arms, "do you want to talk to Abby when she gets here or shall I?"

"You can. I mean it I don't want to know, I don't need the stress. I already feel shitty as it is" she said pulling back and looking up at him.

"Agreed. You do look tired do you want to go for a nap before dinner?"

"Yeah I do" she said sagging with exhaustion, "I'm so tired but then I was kept up all night by this guy I know" she said with a smirk.

"Well tell him you need your rest next time" he said seriously, his eyes dancing with amusement.

"Hell no! That guy is fun and he doesn't come out to play as often as I'd like" she said grinning up at him as she wound her arms around his neck.

"Can you guys stop before I hurl" Xander said screwing his face up as he blushed, "I'm still recovering from the time I walked in on you guys"

"That was over sixteen years ago" Buffy said looking round at him with surprise.

"Yeah and I still have nightmares of Giles' bare ass" he said with a shudder.

Willow, who had been giggling silently behind her hand, snorted and sat down as she began to laugh harder, Giles and Buffy joining in. Xander rolled his eyes at them and sank back against the sofa lifting the paper up so he could ignore them.

"I'm going up" Buffy said once she had stopped laughing, "wake me in an hour or so okay" she told Giles, reaching up on her tip toes to kiss his cheek.

She didn't bother undressing and just pulled the afghan from the bottom of the bed. Kicking her trainers off she curled up on top of the quilt, covering herself with the afghan she began a deep breathing meditation and was asleep before she could finish the first set.

~~~She opened her eyes and knew she wasn't at home. The darkness was brightened slightly by a faint shaft of light coming into the room from under the door. She was laying on her side on a thin mattress on the floor and she was cold. She widened her eyes trying to absorb as much light as she could and looked around at her cell.

There were no windows and only one door that looked like it was made of iron, she rolled to her front and pushed herself onto her knees, a task made harder by her very large baby bump. She felt a kick on two sides of her belly and smiled sadly as she used the wall to climb to her feet. She felt weak, as weak as she was on the adrenal suppressor Giles had used on her eighteenth birthday~~~

Buffy frowned and curled into a tighter ball in her sleep as the dream changed.

~~~Suddenly she was in the library at Sunnydale high. Blinking she looked around at the familiar sight of the doors, the rare book cage and the desk where Giles would sort through the returned books.

"Hey Buffy" she heard a voice call from behind her.

Holding her belly she turned and saw Cordy sitting at the study table, "Cordy? What was that dream about?" she asked her walking over to the table and sitting down opposite her.

"You get kidnapped because your babies," she indicated her bump, "are special"

"How special?" Buffy asked as fear spiked through her.

"Oh ya know the usual. They'll both have magic sure but they will also both be Slayers which would be cool anyway but you're carrying a boy and a girl"

"But boys can't be Slayers" Buffy said shaking her head in confusion.

"And ordinarily they can't but little Kit in there is joined to his sister in a prophecy that has existed for as long as the Slayer line has" she said apologetically.

"Basically it says that a Slayer and her Watcher will be destined to be as one and their children are destined to stop the spread of Evil in the world, more than human and gifted with magic. Twins, a boy and a girl, will be born as Slayers both gifted beyond what is normal"

"What the hell does that mean?" Buffy asked shaking her head as she tried to absorb what Cordy was telling her.

"I have no clue what it means but I do know that every Slayer and her Watcher who has felt the pull has been killed before this prophecy could come to pass. Either she died as a Slayer usually does or they were both killed by outside forces that want to prevent the prophecy coming to pass. You guys are the first to follow through on it which is why they think that it was always about you and Giles regardless of the other pairs that felt the pull in the past" Cordy said still looking at Buffy, "But this is why the Powers wanted Willow back. She is the only witch powerful enough to perform a blood binding spell that would join you all as one and is the only way they will be able to find you when you are kidnapped"

"Why can't you just tell me who is planning on kidnapping me so we can stop it before it happens?" Buffy asked rolling her eyes in annoyance.

"They want you kidnapped because it will expose the people who are behind it, so far that info is cloaked from them some how which means there's a pretty powerful force backing them"

"So I'm bait" Buffy said with annoyance, "that's just great"

"Yeah I know it's not fair but it's the only way or they wouldn't let it continue" Cordy said with understanding.

"Okay so they wanted Will alive to perform a binding spell, my kids are all special but my twins are super special and they want to use me as bait to expose some powerful demon/witch/mage/force whatever it is, am I right so far?" Buffy asked ticking off each point on her fingers.

"Sounds right" Cordy nodded and went back to inspecting her nails.

"Fantastic" Buffy said dropping her head to the table, "Giles is gonna love this"

"Oh you can't tell him"

Buffys head shot up off the table and she stared at Cordy in wide eyed disbelief "What! No I can't not tell him anything!"

"But they don't want him stopping it" Cordy said calmly.

"If it's meant to happen then it will and he won't be able to stop it, besides," Buffy said giving Cordy a glare, "if Will is supposed to perform this binding spell then he's gonna have to know why"

Cordy blinked in surprise then tilted her head as if she was listening to something, she looked back at Buffy and grinned "They say that you're right so you can tell him what you know"

"I don't _know_ anything" Buffy said throwing her hands up, falling back against the back of the chair and looking up at the ceiling, "Not anything important anyway, I'm guessing that's why you interrupted that dream" looking back at her she gave her a knowing glare.

"Bingo" Cordy said grinning brightly at her.

Buffy chuckled as she shook her head, "Do you think you'll ever visit like a normal person?" she asked her.

"I might pop in at Christmas with a few people" she said mysteriously.

"But my Dad says he's coming for Christmas" Buffy said alarmed at the thought of Cordy literally popping into the living room in front of him.

"No he won't and he's not dying either" Cordy said narrowing her eyes, "He's a troll by the way but the cheque is real"

"I'm sorry, what?" Buffy asked her jaw dropping in shock.

"Yeah he's fine but is planning to disappear again in a couple of weeks and he did see you in London and hired a private eye to find you but it was out of guilt, he gave you the money to make up for his lack of interest but he isn't dying" Cordy said angrily.

"Good to know" Buffy gritted out from between her teeth, her jaw clenched in anger.

"You won't remember all of this by the way" Cordy said standing up and smoothing down her skirt.

"That's why my dreams are muddled, we've had this conversation before" Buffy said staring at her in surprise.

"Not this exact one but yeah we've been talking a lot lately"

"So why can't I remember it? And why tell me I can't tell Giles anything if I'm not gonna remember it anyway?"

"Believe it or not I don't want you to worry yet" Cordy said seriously as she walked past the table, "I'll remind you of it all when it becomes necessary which is why I get to visit you on Christmas, this all happens before the new year"

"But…."~~~

Buffy sat up in her bed, startling Giles who was just about to wake her.

"Are you alright love?" he asked her, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Yeah, just another one of those dreams" she said rubbing her face, "I remember being in a room with no windows and the door was solid iron. I was laying on a thin mattress on the floor"

"Anything else?" he asked her worry shinning from his eyes.

"No" she said frowning in confusion, "But I have a feeling Cordy's coming to visit on Christmas day"

"Why?" he asked mirroring her confusion.

"No idea but Dad won't be coming so we don't have to worry about him finding out our big bad secret"

"Come on, dinner's ready and Dawn is back from visiting your father, you can ask her if he is visiting or not"

"Hmm food" she said grinning at him as he stood up.

He held out his hand for her and she slapped her hand in his letting him pull her up from the bed. She pulled him closer and pulled his head down for a kiss, giggling when he lifted her up and wrapped her legs around his waist.

"What was that for?" she gasped when he let her go.

"No reason" he said letting her slide down his body to the floor, "You're just irresistible"

"Damn straight" she said with a nod and walked past him, smacking him on the butt causing him to yelp and jump in surprise, "you're hard to resist as well"

Laughing he followed her from the room and down the stairs, almost walking into her when she stopped suddenly.

"Dawn, what is it?" she asked when she caught sight of her sister sitting on the sofa with a face like thunder. Giles patted her arm as he moved past her into the dining room, leaving her to deal with Dawn.

"Dad, what else" she said, "he's going back to the states tomorrow and he told me to tell you that he's sorry he won't make it for Christmas"

"Oh is that all" Buffy said sagging in relief, "I thought that something bad had happened"

"But how can he do that?" Dawn asked her incredulously.

"It's what he does, the money is guilt money but he isn't guilty enough to want to stick around" Buffy said sitting down next to her, "We have managed for twenty three years without him and we will continue to manage"

"I know he just pisses me off, why can't he put us first for once?" Dawn whined sounding very much like her teenage self. "and I think he lied about dying from liver cancer"

"Of course he is, he knew we wouldn't entertain his apologies unless we felt sorry for him so he lied because he's Dad, it's what he does" Buffy said pulling her into her side, "Don't let him get to you, you still have me after all"

"Yeah I know" Dawn said pulling away from her and smiling, "You've always been there for me and I don't think I ever thanked you for it"

"You have, sort of" Buffy said smiling back at her, "How many times have you babysat for me last minute without whining?"

"I don't whine" she said shoving her shoulder.

"Sure you don't" Buffy said shoving her back with a smile. She stood up and dragged her up off the sofa, "come on let's get some dinner and not waste anymore time worrying about Dad"

"Deal" Dawn said following her into the dining room, "at least he made us millionaires before he dropped us again"

"Small mercy's?" Buffy said looking back at her over her shoulder with a grin, "How about we go on a shopping trip next week before the Christmas madness really starts?"

"Sounds like fun, where?"

"Well seeing as Rupert won't allow me to go too far it will have to be into town" Buffy said with a sigh.

"Will you have to ask his permission?" Dawn asked with a laugh.

"Ask my permission for what?" Giles asked as they walked into to the dining room.

"I wanna take Dawn into town for shopping and lunch next week, Helen, Abby and Will too" Buffy said sitting down next to him after kissing her kids on the head as she passed them.

"Ooh girls day out, mani pedi's and facials too?" Willow asked cheerfully.

"Sure why not" Buffy agreed with a shrug.

"As long as you're careful then I don't see why not" Giles said cutting up his steak.

"Thanks so much" Buffy said making a face at him.

"Why would Mum have to be careful?" Tommy asked looking at them shrewdly.

"We'll tell you when we know for sure but it's nothing for you to worry about" Buffy said.

"Promise?" Lizzy asked looking worriedly from her brothers to Giles and Buffy.

"We promise" Giles said smiling reassuringly at them.

Buffy just nodded, a niggling feeling at the back of her head told her that the kids needed to be worried and that they would be hurt by whatever was coming her way. She smiled and chatted happily to her family knowing that no matter what they would turn the earth upside down to find her and make sure she got back to them in one piece. She just wished she knew why this was happening.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Is everything in motion?" the man asked in a low voice.

"Yes sir, we just need to wait on the formula to be ready before we can move on the target" the operative said on the other end of the phone.

"How long until it is?"

"Two weeks maybe three, the process is a delicate one as it's designed to bypass the protections around a Slayer. If the Council had never been blown up then we would have had the stuff already made and we could have acquired the target already"

"Has the door been reinforced just in case the formula fails?"

"Yes sir, everything is ready to receive the Slayer and the cell has been reinforced with magic to hold her once the formula wears off"

"No harm can come to her until the children are born, that is very important"

"Yes sir I have briefed everyone involved that the main priority is the children. Are you certain that they are the ones the prophecy spoke of?"

"Very certain, they felt the pull, the first pair to feel it in three centuries and we're very lucky that Quentin Travers never knew about it or he would have sent in the wet works team"

"But aren't the children an abomination?"

"No Smith they are not, they are dangerous and need to be controlled and if they can't be then they need to be killed"

"What of her other children? Don't they pose the same risk?"

"Not to the extent the twins will but yes, they will be monitored and if they start to pose a threat then they will be taken care of as well"

"Very good sir. Will that be all?"

"Yes Smith that is all. Expect a phone call in one week"

"Yes sir"

He hung up the phone and picked up his glass, swirling the scotch around before lifting it to his lips as he thought about what he had discovered in the last few days. Smiling he drained the glass and stood, needing to contact his master and let him know that everything was going smoothly and that the Slayer and her children and the threat they posed to their plans would soon be taken care of.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: See first Chapter**

 **Rating: T**

 **A/N: Hope you all had a wonderful holiday and fantastic new year :)**

Chapter 12

It was early evening on Christmas day, presents had been opened in a flurry of wrapping paper and excited squeals from Olly, Jesse and Lizzy and wide smiles from Tommy, the Christmas dinner over with. Now they were in their rooms playing new games, experimenting with make up and nail varnish in Lizzy's case and trying to see how far the new telescope could see after Olly and Jesse had promised Giles and Xander that they would not try and see into anybodies home.

Buffy was sitting on the sofa with her feet up, grudgingly relaxing after a twinge in her stomach had doubled her over earlier as she was laying the table. Giles had threatened to tie her to a chair if she didn't take it easy so she had agreed, unable to argue when she saw the fear and worry in his eyes.

She was nearly five months pregnant now and, as is the case with twins, she had a rather big bump. She could feel them moving now, just odd little flutters that were stronger than she remembered from the others, but it was enough that she knew they were okay.

"Here you are love" Giles said as he came into the room with a cup of hot chocolate and a plate of Willows cookies.

"Thanks" Buffy said as she pushed herself up, "I'm feeling better, have done for hours, can I please get up now?" she asked as she took the mug from him.

"Heath said to take it easy until you can see him tomorrow" he said putting the plate on the coffee table and sitting next to her, lifting his arm and dropping it over her shoulders.

"Yeah, take it easy, not stagnate on a sofa dying from boredom" she grumbled glaring up at him.

"You are neither stagnating or dying from boredom" Giles said with a smirk as she huffed in annoyance, "It will only be until tomorrow love, I just want to make sure all three of you aren't in any danger"

"We're not, it was just a twinge, you didn't react this way when I had them with Tommy or Lizzy" she said looking up at him.

"We hadn't lost one then" he said sadly hugging her tighter when she looked away from him, "besides, this is a multiple pregnancy and we have no idea what is or isn't meant to happen"

"I can feel them move so they're fine, I haven't had any spotting or pain so I'm fine" she said leaning forward and putting her mug down on the table, "so if you don't mind I am…..."

"I bloody well do mind and no you are not going anywhere" he growled, pulling her back down.

Buffy huffed then looked at him through narrowed eyes, "I still can't believe you made the coven take away your memories again" she said changing the subject.

"I thought it was for the best" he said with a slight lift to the corner of his mouth, "After all I hadn't exactly lived it for myself and I wanted to experience everything that was coming with you as it was meant to be" he said pulling her close and kissing her head, "I just wanted the memory of you coming back and the one of Willow to stay with me, the rest were erased"

She smiled at him and lifted her head for a kiss which he gave her and they both settled back, enjoying the peace that was rare during a school holiday.

A scream from the kitchen interrupted their peaceful moment and Buffy was up off of the sofa before Giles had even had the chance to look in that direction, "Buffy! What are you doing?" he hissed as she barreled through the kitchen door. He got up and quickly followed her, nearly knocking her over when he ran into her just inside the kitchen door.

"Mom?" she whispered when she saw that Dawn was sobbing in her arms.

"It's really me Buffy" she said softly and Buffy looked around at Willow and Xander who were standing there with their mouths open in shock, tears glittering in their eyes.

She slowly moved towards her, not quite willing to believe what her eyes were telling her, and reached out a hand, looking down in surprise when she came into contact with warm flesh. She raised tear filled eyes to her mothers face and let out a sob as she threw herself into her arms.

"Ssh Buffy, it's okay" Joyce murmured as she rubbed Buffys back.

"But how?" Buffy asked pulling back and letting Dawn take her place again. She looked around at Giles who just shrugged with a slightly worried, but happy, expression on his face.

"Hope I get a hug pet" she heard a familiar cockney voice drawl behind her and she whirled around to see Spike standing in front of the backdoor with that same smug grin on his face.

"What the hell is going on?" Buffy asked looking between them. Her eyes widened when she caught sight of the two people walking in through the door, "Angel?"

"Great, I finally get a reunion with my old tumble and you have to show up" Spike growled at Angel.

"Shut up Spike" Cordy said as she stepped through the door, "You said you'd behave, I could always just send you back"

"Didn't say nothing about bringing peaches along though did ya" Spike grumbled.

"Nice to see you again Spike" Buffy said with a grin, "You too Angel and don't get me wrong, great surprise and all but why are you all here?"

"I wanted to bring a gift and make you happy before I had to make you miserable" Cordy said brightly.

"Sugar coating shit, thanks Cord" Buffy said sarcastically with an eye roll that turned into a grin when she heard Spike and Angel chuckling, "Would you like to meet your grandchildren Mom?"

"I would like that very much" Joyce said looking up at her with a wide smile as she let go of James and Dawn.

"KIDS! GET DOWN HERE!" Buffy shouted making everyone jump.

"You know I could have just gone to get them" Willow said with an amused smirk as she and Xander walked over to Joyce.

"Soooo much quicker" Buffy said with a grin as they heard the sounds of four pairs of feet hitting the stairs.

"Mum! What's wrong?" Tommy asked as he came flying through the door with Lizzy and Olly on his heels. He turned and saw Angel and Spike and Buffy saw a flicker of fear on his face before it gave way to a steely determination. He turned to his brother and sister and they nodded at each other before joining hands, they closed their eyes and began muttering something under their breath before Buffy felt a tingle of magic

Willow, Abby, Helen and Giles all gasped in surprise just before Buffy felt the air thicken in front of her.

"What the hell did you guys just do?" Xander asked, looking down at Jesse when he laughed.

"They've been practicing a shield spell ever since Aunt Buffy got hurt" Jesse said looking over at his cousins with a big grin on his face.

"They're not powerful enough for that" Giles said in an awe filled voice as he watched Spike try and push through the barrier and was blown back through the open doorway, smirking as he landed with a thud on the lawn.

"Guys, it's okay" Buffy said softly putting her hand on Tommys shoulder, "They're not here to hurt me"

All three opened their eyes and looked at her. Seeing her smiling at them, they looked to Giles who nodded in agreement, smiling proudly at them. They closed their eyes again and all three whispered 'finis' before letting go of each other and turning to their parents.

"We didn't want Mum to get hurt again" Olly said looking up at them with a look of fierce determination, "so Tommy found the shield spell in one of Dads books and we've been practicing it ever since"

"It works better when we do it together" Lizzy said walking over to her Mum and letting her wrap her in her arms.

"How have we never felt your magic?" Willow asked looking over at Abby and Helen who were frowning, "Why can't we feel it now?"

"It's them" Cordy said and everyone turned their attention to her, "Remember now Buffy" she said looking her in the eye.

Buffy gasped as the dreams she had thought were jumbled came back to her in full, staggering back as her mind reeled from the onslaught of images and conversations that she had been made to forget. Tommy and Giles each grabbed a hand and guided her to a stool, Lizzy rushed over to the sink and filled a glass with water as Olly held onto Willow and Abby.

"They're special, the twins are super special and the Powers are using me as bait" Buffy gasped out. She glared at Cordy, "What the hell Cord?"

"Sorry but it was necessary to keep it from you" she said with sympathy, "but now you can be prepared for it"

"Would one of you please tell me what the hell is going on and why my wife is being used as bait?" Giles said angrily as he took the water from Lizzy and handed it to Buffy, giving her his patented hairy eyeball until she relented and took it from him with a sigh.

"Hey kids," Buffy said smiling fondly at her children, "Your Grandma wants to meet you" she looked over at her mother who was standing there staring at them with her hand pressed to her mouth and tears glittering in her eyes.

Tommy and Lizzy looked over at Joyce and grinned, Olly looked round Willow and his face lit up with a smile, looking so much like Buffy that it made Joyce sob with happiness. All three rushed over and hugged her as she laughed and tried to look at each of them.

"Giles the twins are a boy and a girl and both are Slayers" she said softly, looking up at him with a grim smile, "Cordy tell him"

"There is a prophecy that has existed for as long as there have been Slayers" Cordy said stepping closer to the group, keeping her voice low so as not to disturb the happy scene in the corner, "A Slayer and her Watcher are destined as one and their children, destined to stop the spread of Evil, will be gifted with magic and more than human. Twins, a boy and a girl, will be born to them, both Slayers and both gifted beyond what is normal"

"What does that mean?" Xander asked looking over his shoulder at his son who Joyce had pulled over and welcomed as one of her own, just like she had done with him.

"No clue, they don't even know" Cordy said looking at each of them.

"Rupert," Buffy said looking up at him, "Every Slayer and her Watcher who felt our pull were killed before they could follow through with it, or if they managed to follow through they were killed soon after"

His eyes widened with the implication and turned to face Cordelia, "Are we in danger of that?"

"No," Cordy said shaking her head, "This time no one knew of your pull because you're both so emotionally retarded that you didn't say anything about it" she said grinning at their twin glares, "but someone does want your twins, to control or failing that just to kill before they can reach maturity, I wouldn't be surprised if they were watching the other three at this point as well"

"What!" Buffy snapped as she looked over at her children, "Someones watching them? Why?"

"Although they're not as powerful as their brother and sister, they are powerful, and as you have just seen they are even more powerful when they are joined and when they are joined, their magic is shielded from detection which is why you didn't feel them just the shield"

Willow, Abby and Helen all looked at each other with identical looks of shock, "The Triumvirate" Helen whispered, Abby and Willow both nodding their agreement.

"I'm sorry the who?" Buffy asked looking at them with confusion.

"The Triumvirate is something that has been whispered about in every powerful coven since records began to be kept," Abby explained, "It is a group of three powerful witches who, when joined, cannot be defeated and will help stop the spread of evil. Their power is so great that eventually a physical connection isn't needed to create a circle and every being on the side of good inside that circle cannot be harmed"

"And what makes you think it's our kids?" Buffy asked fearfully. She knew what it was like to have a destiny she couldn't fight and had never wanted that for her children.

"Buffy, it is them" Angel said gently, "The witches tale combined with the prophecy...it all points to them, I'm sorry"

"Yeah okay" Buffy muttered gripping Giles' hand tighter, "Will, you need to perform a blood binding spell on all of us"

"What?! Why would I do that?" Willow asked sitting up in shock.

"That's the only way you'll find her when she gets taken" Cordy said softly, "She'll be guarded and shielded by whatever demon it is that wants the twins"

"That's why they're using me as bait, they have no idea what demon it is" Buffy said sadly as Giles tightened his grip on her hand, sucking in a breath to argue, "Don't argue Rupert you can't stop it, it was only when I pointed out that you would need to know why Will was casting a blood binding spell that they agreed that you should know everything"

"You mean I wasn't to know before hand? I was just to suffer the agony of your disappearance without the knowledge of why you were gone?" Giles asked his voice rising with incredulity and anger.

"We can protect you Mum" Lizzy said causing all of the adults to turn and stare at the three of them. Joyce was standing behind them with Jesse tucked under her arm, looking at her grandchildren with pride.

"How long have you been listening?" Dawn asked them, impressed that they were more successful at being sneaky then she ever was.

"Pretty much since Cordy told Dad about the prophecy" Tommy said with a shrug, "And Lizzy's right, we can protect you"

"No" Buffy said looking over at them, "You will not put yourselves in danger, I won't allow it" she said sternly.

"But..." Lizzy said only to be cut off by Giles.

"No, your mothers right. We don't know how long you could keep that shield up or if you are able to withstand more aggressive attempts to get through it," he said putting his hand on Tommys shoulder, "You may be the Triumvirate but that is in the future when you have more knowledge and strength"

"We want to help" Olly said plaintively looking at his mother and she opened her arms for him. He ran over and she held him to her chest.

"You will help but this is something that has to happen in order to find the real bad guy and it is something that I don't want you a part of" she said into his hair. She looked up at the other two and smiled fondly at them, "I'll be fine, we have prepared for this ever since I found out I was pregnant with you Tommy" she said gesturing to Xander, Willow and Giles.

"I can tell you one thing that they know for sure," Cordy said stepping forward, smiling comfortingly at them all "they know for sure that it doesn't end badly, that she, and your brother and sister, will be fine"

"I get why you're here Cordy" Xander said looking over at her with a frown on his face, "But why did you bring Dead Boy and Captain Peroxide?"

"We're helping mate" Spike said with a smirk, "We're gonna hang around for a bit 'til this is all sorted"

"Then we help rescue her," Angel said with a small grin at Buffy.

"Dawn and James will have to stay with the children and the rest of you will be the rescue party" Cordy said looking at each of them, "The Powers have sent them to act in Buffys place as she won't be able to kill the demon"

"So when does this all happen and why do I have to perform the blood binding?" Willow asked looking worried.

"What is so special about this spell anyway?" Buffy asked, her hands reflexively covering her belly, ignoring Cordy's comment about her not being able to kill the demon. She knew what that meant and judging by the death grip Giles had on her shoulder, he did too.

"It joins you all together in a way that you automatically know where each of you are and no shield can hide you" Cordy said looking at Willow, "It's why the Powers wanted you saved, you are the only witch with the ability to perform it"

"No I'm not, Leda is way more powerful than I am" Willow said with a shake of her head, her eyes wide with fear.

"No she isn't" Abby said taking her wife's hand in hers and giving it a gentle squeeze, "You are the most powerful witch alive today, you just don't use all of your power"

"But this spell can have bad consequences if you do it wrong, what if I do it wrong?" she said plaintively looking at Abby.

"Will, you can do this" Buffy said smiling encouragingly at her.

"Okay well I'll need blood from all of us and some herbs…."

"Here," Cordy said holding out her hand and dropping a medium sized velvet pouch into Willows hand, "It has every herb that is used in protection, healing, binding and repelling magic"

"They want me to use all of them?" Willow asked in shock as she opened the pouch and sniffed, "Black thorn too?"

"They want you all protected until the last of you draws breath and they don't usually protect their agents this well" Cordy said with a raised eyebrow.

"Why are we so special?" Xander asked.

"Because you have stopped more than even you know from happening and when I say the last of you I mean the last of your blood lines" she said with a satisfied smile.

"What do you mean we stopped more than we know?" James asked stepping up behind Dawn and putting his hands on her shoulders. She smiled up at him and leant back against his chest, her hand firmly gripping her mothers.

"Well when we stopped the master from opening the hellmouth we saved millions of people, of those people three hundred thousand have become powerful forces of good in their own right and have saved lives with their actions and so on and so forth. Some of the things you have killed were meant to go on killing, The First thought they were too powerful to be killed, and you saved their would be victims some of which are meant to go on and have children who will help in the fight against evil" Cordy said standing in front of Angel and Spike, "You've all managed to tip the scales in our favor, something that has never ever happened before"

"You lot have somehow managed to become the most powerful group of people in the world and that includes the bad guys which is why some wanker wants those snack packs taken out of the picture" Spike said pointing at Buffys belly.

"When is this happening Cordelia?" Giles asked tightening his hold on Buffy and Lizzy, who had taken refuge against him when Cordy was speaking. Olly and Tommy were firmly in Joyce's clutches who couldn't stop looking around herself, pride shining from her eyes as she looked at each of the original Scoobies.

"All they know is soon," Cordy said, "They thought it would be before the new year but now they're not sure, it's before the babies are born and that's all they know. Buffy knows the particulars of the dreams now so she can fill you in later but we have to go now"

"No! Can't Mom stay for a little longer?" Dawn cried looking at her mother, desperately trying not to show her tears.

"Your Mom is staying Dawn" Cordy said smiling gently at her, "but she can't stay for long, I'm sorry"

"Guest house free ducks?" Spike asked rubbing his hands together.

"You're not staying Spike" Cordy said with a smirk, "You and Angel have to go back to the states until it's time"

"It would make more sense to stay here and close to her so we can get her back straight away" Angel said looking at Cordy with something like regret in his eyes. Buffy had heard he had fallen for Cordy but until now she didn't believe it.

"Yeah," Spike said slapping Angel on the back causing him to growl at him, "Besides I wouldn't mind a catch up with the old gang, it's been a while since we had a row" he said with a grin.

Cordy cocked her head and closed her eyes for a few minutes then looked back at them and smiled, "You're in luck, they say you won't be needed back home for a few months so you can stay"

"Brilliant" Spike said then flipped off Xander with a grin.

"Xander, I'll pin him down and you can stake him" Angel said glaring at Spike.

"Count me in" Xander said sourly.

"Behave both of you" Buffy said with a chuckle at their twin looks of disappointment, "Cordy will you stay a while too?"

"Sure why not, I'm not needed for anything else at the moment" she said with a shrug then sat down next to Willow and immediately started talking about the spell.

"Rupert would you mind if I had a word?" Joyce asked him.

Giles looked at Buffy and she laughed at the trepidation in his eyes, "You're on your own love" she said grinning at him as Dawn came over and put her arm around Buffys shoulders.

"Yes of course" he said gesturing for Joyce to walk ahead of him out of the kitchen. Once she had passed through the door Giles leaned back towards Buffy, "I'm going to make you pay for that" he said in a low voice.

She stood on her toes and kissed him, "I'm looking forward to it" she said in a husky whisper.

Cordy, Xander, Willow and Dawn all gagged and Spike just grinned, "She likes a bit 'o pain that one" he said, Giles just rolled his eyes at him and walked through the door.

Angel growled and smacked him round the head and Tommy whispered something under his breath and made a flicking motion with his hand. The next thing they knew Spike was standing there with floppy brown hair, wearing an old brown Victorian suit and holding a book, glasses perched on his nose. Angel and Xander began laughing so hard they were holding their stomachs, Willow and Cordy were giggling behind their hands and the rest of them were staring at him in shock.

"What the hell did you do to me ya little shit!" Spike shouted at him as he looked down at himself.

"Revealed your true nature" Tommy said with a smug grin, "It's a nifty little spell that Aunt Willow taught me after a girl I brought home tried to kill my Mum"

"Change me back!" Spike begged him then growled and kicked Angel, who had collapsed to the floor, in the side as he continued to roar with laughter.

"Don't need to it'll wear off in ten minutes" Tommy said then kissed his mothers cheek and left the kitchen with Lizzy, Olly and Jesse following close behind him, giggling to themselves.

"What the devil..." Giles broke off as soon as he saw Spike and immediately started laughing, "Which one did it?" he asked Buffy as he manfully tried to hold back the laughter.

"Oh Spike, don't you look adorable" Joyce said with a grin as she walked in behind Giles.

"I am not!" he shouted making everyone laugh harder.

"Tommy did it" Buffy said leaning back against Giles as he wrapped his arms around her, feeling his chest vibrate with laughter.

"I'll have to raise his allowance" Giles said wiping tears from his face.

"I'll give him anything he wants" Angel said finally able to stand again.

"Ditto" Xander gasped as he got to his feet, "Might even find him a girlfriend...Ow, what was that for?" he asked Willow and Cordy as the each slapped him.

"You spat on me" Cordy said rolling her eyes at him.

"He doesn't need a girlfriend" Willow said glaring at him.

"Are you gonna let them hit me?" Xander asked Helen.

"Yes, saves me from doing it" she said with a grin then wound her arms around him and gave him a soft kiss on the lips.

Spike stormed out of the house and a few minutes later they heard the front door of the guest house slam shut. Angel grinned and followed him out.

"Do you guys need anything?" Buffy asked him.

"No the guest house has already got what they need inside of it courtesy of the Powers" Cordy answered for him.

"No thanks Buffy although if Tommy doesn't mind coming over now and again to do that spell a few more times I wouldn't argue" Angel said grinning at her.

"No need" Willow said holding up her camera, "I got evidence" she said with a wicked grin.

"I'm gonna need a copy of that" Angel said then with a wave he walked out the door.

"Me too, that is now my favorite memory of Spike" Xander said happily.

Buffy smiled at him as she laid her head back against Giles' chest a slight frown on her face.

"Are you alright love?" Giles asked her.

"Mmm, yeah just got a bit of a headache that's all" she said, humming in contentment when his hands automatically came up and started to massage her neck and shoulders.

"You should lie down Buffy, get some sleep" Joyce said coming over and brushing her fingers over her cheek.

Buffy opened her eyes and stared at her mother, "No, I'm okay for now, Rupert has magic hands" she said with a grin as he continued to massage her.

"Still you should sleep, you look tired" Joyce said frowning at her with worry.

"But I want to stay with you" Buffy said her eyes closing involuntarily.

"You can, I'll sit with you and rub your head like I did when you were little" Joyce said smiling down at her.

"Dawn come too?" Buffy asked sleepily.

"Yes Dawn can come too" Joyce said and held her hand out for Dawn who rushed over to take it. Joyce grabbed Buffys hand and helped her stand then led them both out of the room.

Giles watched them walk out, Joyce putting her arm around each of them, then turned and looked at the others. The girls were openly weeping and Xander and James' eyes were overly bright as well just as he was sure his were.

"Thank you Cordelia" Giles said putting his arm around her shoulder.

"It's nothing" she sniffed, wiping her eyes on the tissue that James handed to her, "With everything she's about to go through, has already been through, I talked the Powers into letting her have a few hours with her Mom"

"If only we could have kept you from your fate as well" he said sadly.

"This is my fate, I was always meant to end up here" she said looking up at him with a smile, "Besides if I had never found out about all this creepy stuff then Marci would have killed me"

"She's got a point" Willow said soggily.

"Be my deputy" Xander drawled making Willow giggle.

Cordy slapped him again, "Asshole! You're never gonna let me live that down are you" she said trying to suppress a grin.

"I have tonnes of stuff I will never let you live down Queen C" Xander said with a grin.

"Just like I have on you bug boy" she fired back.

Giles rolled his eyes and smiled as he walked out of the kitchen, leaving them to their insults much like he used to do back in the library. He walked up the stairs to see how Buffy was and heard her ask her mother if she wouldn't mind haunting Hank for a little while. Smiling he walked through the door and saw Dawn and Buffy laying on his bed, Dawn curled up against Buffy just like they used to do after the fall of Sunnydale, with Joyce sitting on the edge rubbing Buffys back and head.

"How are you feeling love?" he asked her from the doorway.

"Sleepy" she mumbled giving him a small smile.

"She's being stubborn" Joyce said affectionately.

"There's a shock" Dawn said giggling when Buffy smacked her leg.

"Are Cordy and Xander arguing yet?" Buffy asked opening one eye to look at him.

"It took them a little longer than usual this time but yes they are trading insults as we speak" Giles said with a fond smile.

"Mom? Why don't you go see the kids. I think I am actually going to sleep now" Buffy said then yawned hugely.

"Okay sweetie and don't worry we will see each other again" Joyce said softly then bent down and kissed her head.

"Rupert?" Buffy called as he turned and walked back out of the room.

"Yes love?"

"Stay with me?" she asked holding her hand up for him.

He smiled and walked back to the bed, laying behind her he wrapped an arm around her stomach and slid the other under her head. With a soft smile she snuggled back against him and was asleep in seconds. Joyce smiled at them from the door as she pulled it shut then turned and headed to the kids rooms while Dawn headed downstairs to the others.

Later that week they were all jumpy, not quite used to being able to tell where each other was after Willow had performed the binding. Buffy felt better about knowing where the kids were but was getting annoyed with everyone checking on her every five minutes. Xander of course hated it because it meant he couldn't jump scare the kids anymore but he also found a way to use it to his advantage by getting whoever was closest to the kitchen to bring him something back.

Without knowing when or how Buffy was to be kidnapped Giles performed a few spells of his own. One to make sure the house was a safe place for her and the children, one to charm an amulet for the twins protection and one to charm a necklace so she could call for him if she was taken without him there.

The new year came and went, the twins continued to thrive and Buffy continued to get bigger and bigger. The children went back to school and the others stayed at the house instead of leaving in the first week of January like they usually did, all of them wanted to be close just in case.

It was a few days after valentines day that Willow heard Giles' shout of pain and rushed to his side. Buffy had taken the kids to school that morning and said that she was driving into town to pick up Tommys birthday present.

"Giles what is it? What's wrong?" she asked him as she ran down the stairs into his study.

"They've taken her Willow" he said looking up at her with tears running down his face, "they've taken her and I wasn't there"

"It's okay Giles we'll find her" Willow said as she hugged him, "Focus on her, where is she?" Willow had already done it but she needed him to remain focused.

"She's...she's moving, on the M4 I think" he said standing up and walking to the stairs.

"Where are you going? We can't do anything until she stops moving and we need everybody home so we can all concentrate on her at the same time so we can get through the demons shield" she said calmly.

"I can't just do nothing!" he shouted gripping onto the banister.

"Go and pick the kids up then, bring them home" she said moving up the stairs towards him, "I'll ring the school and ask them to pull them out of their classes and I'll ring everyone else as well"

"Right okay" he said and stood there for a few more seconds blinking owlishly at her before he shook himself out of his daze and finished running up the stairs.

She heard him slam the front door as she picked up the phone and contacted the kids schools. She then cast a darkness over the garden so she could get Angel and Spike, knocking on the door and waiting for one of them to answer. She didn't know how she was staying so calm but she thought it might have something to do with Buffy being unconscious and she was unconsciously tapping into her relaxed state.

Once Angel and Spike were up and getting dressed she contacted the others and told them to get home then put the kettle on and set about emptying the cupboards of all the snack food. Xander and the kids tended to stress eat to settle their nerves and she had a feeling they would all be doing it today.

A few hours later they were all a little frayed around the edges. Buffy was still being moved and Giles hadn't stopped pacing which made them all jumpy.

"Right that's it" Spike said after watching Giles do another revolution around the kitchen, "outside Watcher, now"

Giles looked up and followed Spike outside without argument. Xander looked at Willow a little worriedly. They all stood and filed out the back door just as Spike threw a punch and connected to Giles' jaw. Giles took the hit and glared at Spike as he wiped his thumb over his jaw. Then he smiled at him and lunged.

"Hello Ripper" Xander muttered and shared a look with Willow.

"What are they doing?" Lizzy asked on the verge of tears as she watched her Dad and Spike fighting.

"Don't worry honey" Willow said brushing a hand over her hair, "Spikes giving your Dad an outlet for his frustrations, he'd be doing the same for your Mom if the situation was reversed only Angel would probably be joining in as well" she said smiling kindly at her as Angel chuckled. She tucked Lizzy under her arm and watched the fight.

"Go on Dad, nut him!" Tommy yelled and Xander laughed as Olly and Jesse started to jump up and down, cheering him on.

Dawn, James, Abby and Helen were all watching with smiles on their faces when Willow gasped, "She's stopped" she said, loud enough for Giles and Spike to hear her and the fight immediately stopped.

"Where is she?" Giles asked breathing heavily and wiping at his bloody lip.

"Canterbury, I think" Willow said, her eyes closed as she concentrated, "But it's going to take all of us focusing on her to find out exactly where"

"Canterbury Why Canter….Bainbridge!" Giles growled and rushed into the house.

Willow and Xander ran after him and heard him growling down the phone at Louis Dubois the French Watcher, "I want his assets frozen and a team at his house now Louis….why else would they have taken her to Canterbury?….I'm so bloody glad you agree…..We'll sort out the rest later he can't get away with this…...fine let me know" he threw the phone at the wall and stood there with his fists clenched as the pieces bounced to the floor.

"Daddy?" Lizzy called out timidly and they saw him jerk in surprise.

He turned towards her, his cheeks wet with tears, and saw her staring at him with wide eyes brimming with tears of her own, "Oh Lizzy, I'm sorry sweetheart" he said and opened his arms for her. She ran at him and buried her head in his chest as she sobbed, Tommy and Olly were pulled into the hug as well.

"We will get her back won't we?" Olly asked, his voice cracking as his own tears started to fall.

"Olly, come here mate" Spike said, sitting on the arm of the couch. Olly pulled away from his Dad and walked over to Spike who put a hand on his shoulder and bent his head so he was looking him in the eye, "Your Mum is a warrior and will be fine until we go get her and we will go get her, I promise you that. You know who I am right"

Olly nodded, "William the bloody" he said with a sniff.

"That's right, and you know who he is" Spike said pointing at Angel.

Olly nodded again, "Angelus, scourge of Europe" he said his voice a little stronger.

"Right again. We were both mean bastards in our day so do you think that we will be able to save your Mum and make anyone who hurt her pay for it?"

Olly looked over at Angel who was standing stiffly, his jaw clenched and his eyes narrowed in anger and then he looked back at Spike who was looking at him seriously, "You're both Vampires right?" he asked looking at each of them. When they nodded he stayed silent for a few seconds then said, "Show me"

Angel and Spike looked at Giles for permission and he nodded, both Lizzy and Tommy were watching with interest as well, so was Jesse. Spike stood and walked towards Angel then turned and faced the room, making sure the kids could see and they both let the demon show it's face. Olly and Jesse jumped a little and Lizzy yelped, holding onto Giles' arm but Tommy grinned at them.

"I think whoever has got Mum are dead men" he said smiling at Olly who grinned back.

Spike shook his head and sent the demon back, "You're forgetting the witches mate" he said pointing at the three women who were standing close together, their hair floating in an invisible breeze.

"I think it's time we find your mother, don't you?" Giles said to his children and Angel grinned at the feral spark in his eyes.


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer:- See first chapter.**

 **Rating:- T**

Chapter 13

" _What did you say to Rupert Mom?"_

" _I thanked him for looking after my girls and told him he had done a wonderful job helping you with Dawn. Then I thanked him for making you happy and that I really didn't hate him for loving you or hold it against him"_

" _And that was it? You didn't say anything else?"_

" _There was nothing else to say Buffy, he's a good man and he is all I could ever want for you"_

" _I miss you Mom. There's been so many times over the years that I have needed to talk to you, ask your advice about the kids"_

" _You are a wonderful mother Buffy and you've done a brilliant job raising them, those kids are proof of that. No mother is perfect and we all make mistakes but we all do what we think is right and your job is made harder because of the world you live in but they are happy and loved and healthy, that is all a child needs to be, everything else is just a bonus"_

" _I wish you didn't have to go"_

" _I know, me to but it's not a goodbye more of a see you later"_

" _I love you Mom"_

" _I love you too Buffy"_

Buffy smiled as the memory of her mother faded as she rose out of her slumber. She slowly became aware of the steady drip of water from somewhere outside her room and the unrelenting feel of a stone floor against her hip and shoulder through the thin mattress she was laying on. Sighing, she lifted her head and opened her eyes to see the now familiar sight of a damp stone wall. She rolled onto her back, pulling her arm from underneath the threadbare blanket, and stared at the ceiling of her cell, wondering what time it was.

She had been here for a week now and everyday she was given another injection of the compound that sapped her strength. Even though she had trained with it all those years ago this time it felt different, she felt weaker and the dizzy spells were stronger. She shifted back, wincing at the pain in her ribs, so she could sit up, the chains on her legs rattling loudly in the deathly silence that she had grown used to and looked at the door. The light underneath seemed brighter somehow and she squinted at it trying to see a difference, hissing air through her teeth when the action caused pain to lance through her head and then she remembered the beating she took yesterday when they administered her shot.

" _Ah Mrs Giles it's good to see that you are learning compliance after all this time"_

 _Buffy glared up at Bainbridge from where she was pinned to the floor. Her legs and arms restrained by demons she had never seen before as a human stuck the needle in her arm._

" _Go fuck yourself Bainbridge" she sneered at him, "If I know my husband he's already figured out your involvement and has had you frozen out of everything and a team was sent to your house. I do so hope your bitch of a wife was knocked about like I have been" she said in a pompous British tone, imitating him._

 _He snarled at her and kicked out a foot, connecting with her temple. Blinking rapidly as bright white lights erupted in her vision she smirked at him, she knew she was goading him but after the first beating she took, not long after she woke up in this place, she knew they wouldn't hurt her so badly that it would harm the twins._

 _He dropped to his knees and gripped her throat, squeezing it harder as he bent his head lower. "Once those children are born then you won't be needed anymore and I will enjoy killing you, slowly and painfully" he released her throat and she sucked in air, coughing and wincing at the pain in her head and side as he looked down at her with satisfaction._

 _That satisfaction turned to surprise when she started to laugh, "You really think...that I'm still going...to be here...when they're born?" she taunted, blinking up at him as she tried to focus on his face, "When Rupert gets here….he won't be alone...and then we'll see...who dies slowly"_

 _Bainbridge nodded at the demon holding her arms down and it let go only to grip her hair and bang her head against the floor._

She smiled in satisfaction as the memory of his face floated in her minds eye. He was worried that she was right. She pushed herself up further and leaned back against the wall, the cold stone a welcome relief on her back and head. She looked down at herself, assessing her injuries, and rubbed her hands over her belly, the plain white long sleeved dress that she had woken up in had become filthy and ripped in the time she had been there and she had shortened it by ripping off the bottom to use as a bandage.

Her knuckles were still raw and swollen from the attempts to get through the door, her right leg was broken but wasn't wonky anymore. The scream that had torn out of her throat as she straightened it should have brought people running but only the demon outside her door had looked in through the slot. Her ribs were sore but not broken, fractured maybe but not broken, her arms were covered in bruises and several thin cuts ran from her wrist to her elbow shallow enough that it stung but not deep enough to cut through the vein, a gift from the human she had headbutted her first day here. It was after that they had held her down for the injections.

Her back felt like one big bruise and her head was killing her, her left eye wasn't as swollen anymore but her bottom lip still throbbed every time she spoke. She opened her mouth and wiggled her jaw to prevent it from stiffening, closing it with a snap when she heard the scrape of metal on metal.

The slot opened and a demon threw the now familiar paper sack containing a sandwich, an apple and a bottle of water at her through the gap then closed it again. She reached forward and pulled the sack closer but left it at her side, not wanting food at the moment as her stomach rolled and threatened to empty itself every time she moved. It was bad enough that she had to eat in the same room as her bucket, covering it with a part of her dress did nothing for the smell and they only changed it every two days.

She closed her eyes and concentrated on finding her family. She blew out a relieved breath when she focused on the kids and found them still in Bath with Dawn and James, sadness and guilt rearing their ugly heads when she thought of Tommy and missing his birthday two days ago. Then she focused on Giles and the others, they were still close and she grinned as she imagined what would happen when two master vampires, three mightily pissed off witches, Xander and Ripper blew through this place. She was only sorry she couldn't help, or watch.

She closed her eyes and slept sitting up against the wall, her hands protectively holding her stomach.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"She's sleeping again" Giles muttered from his chair by the window. He hadn't moved from that spot since they had arrived except to pace angrily when they felt the pain she was enduring, the hotel chosen for it's proximity to the building Buffy was being kept in.

"We know" Xander grumbled, raising his head from the pillow of the hotel bed he was trying to doze on.

"I don't know" Spike said from his spot on the couch in the other room.

"Shut up Spike" Xander said, giving up on trying to sleep and sitting up, "When are Angel and the girls gonna get back?"

"Shouldn't be long" Giles said looking round at him. The last week had been harder on him than the others. He had stayed connected to Buffy and had felt everything they had done to her. As a result he had dark circles under his eyes which held a haunted look to them, when they weren't flashing in anger.

After they had all concentrated on Buffy and found where she was being held, they had phoned the Watchers to every Slayer in the vicinity of the town and asked them to patrol close to it. They waited three days for the reports to come in, gathering supplies and weapons while they waited. Giles had gone out with Spike to find Buffys car, finding it in the car park on Broad Street near Milsom Place. Tommy's birthday present was on the backseat with a few other purchases and her bag, coat and shoes were in the front as if they had just been thrown in as an after thought. Giles drove her car back while Spike drove his, leaving her things in the car including Tommys present as he had told Giles earlier in the day he didn't want to celebrate until his mother was home.

In the two months that they had been there, Spike and Angel had taken on the rolls as trainers for the kids, they had even gone to the Academy and helped the potentials with basic training against a vampire, how to spot them in a crowd and give them a feel for their strength. Spike in particular had grown close to the children, teasing them affectionately and making them laugh. Olly and Jesse seemed to really like him much to Xanders disgust but Giles wasn't bothered. The vampire was making his children laugh and that meant more to him than his personal dislike of him and he found that he was glad that he and Angel hadn't died like they had thought, or were led to believe, when they had fought off the minions of the dark powers in charge of Wolfram and Hart.

Once the Watchers had started to report back and they had all the information they could get they packed up a minivan that Xander had rented and drove straight to Canterbury. They had sent the Slayers away, Giles insisting that they wouldn't be needed but telling them that they would call them if the situation became worse.

For the last four days they had taken turns casing the place, the girls casting glamors on them to change their appearance so they wouldn't be recognized, and had managed to dig up blueprints that showed the layout inside. It was an old house that housed stone cellars in the basement, once used for coal and cold storage, which was where Buffy was being kept. There were a mix of human and demon guards and from what Willow could tell the demons were concentrated mostly around Buffy. Giles had seen Bainbridge leave one day and it had taken Spike, Angel, Willow and Xander combined to stop him throwing himself through the window and going after him.

Xander had seen glimpses of Ripper when they were in Sunnydale mainly when Ethan Rayne was tormenting him and the time he shoved the sword through the mayor. He had heard the stories and Buffy had told them what he was like when she found him at the factory beating the shit out of Angelus with a flaming baseball bat but none of it could have prepared him to see him up close and personal.

His eyes were burning with pure rage, there was nothing of the kind, gentle librarian who had been more of a father to him than his own had ever been and Xander had felt fear for the first time in his presence. His teeth were bared, growling like an animal and he had managed to knock Angel back when he had grabbed his arm before Spike had managed to put him in a head lock and kick his legs from under him. Xander had thrown himself across his chest when Angel managed to pin his legs and Willow had placed a hand on his head and made him go to sleep.

They had all sat back breathing heavily and looking at each other in shock, except Angel and Spike that is as they had met Ripper up close and personal before. When he had come to Spike told him that if he did that again then he would just knock him out and chain him to the bed. Angel told him to think of Buffy and that getting himself killed before they could get her out wouldn't help her while the others just pleaded with him to stay calm until they could get to Buffy. Giles had capitulated to their combined pleas and since then he had contented himself with fantasies of killing Bainbridge every time he saw him, the only outward appearance of his anger were his tightly clenched fists and jaw.

Willow walked through the door with the others twenty minutes later and Giles stood at the look on her face, "It's time" she said grimly, "The talismans are in place so they won't be able to enter her cell while they're active, Abby is gonna stay upstairs concentrating on them with Xander keeping guard. Helen is gonna cast the spell to knock out the humans and then we will go downstairs and deal with the demons. Now we just need to wait for Heath to get here and then night to fall"

"And Bainbridge?" Giles asked his voice a growl.

"He's there and probably won't be affected by the spell Helen is casting but I plan on sealing the building so that nothing and no-one can get out until I release it" she said as Helen and Abby handed out the food they had bought, even blood bags for Angel and Spike.

"No thank you Abby, I can't..." Giles said shaking his head as Abby handed him a styrofoam container.

"Eat it Giles, you need your strength" Willow ordered glaring at him until he gave in and took the container from Abby with a sigh.

"Bloody sixty five years old, a powerful warlock and head Watcher yet she can still make me feel like a naughty fucking child" he muttered as he sat down and opened it.

Spike started giggling which set Xander off, pretty soon they were all laughing until Giles gasped, a hand held to his jaw and his arm cradled close to his body, moaning in pain. Willow winced as they all felt Buffys pain and wondered what they had done to her this time. Giles closed his eyes, forcing the tears back, grateful that Helen had cast a spell blocking the effects of the binding on the children before they had left.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Buffys head was ringing, the side of her face throbbing with pain after he backhanded her. The force of the blow had dislocated her right shoulder as well, the demons who were holding her arms tightly so she didn't fall to the floor kept her still as her body had jerked to the left, and she fought back the urge to throw up over the demons feet.

Bainbridge had come in to see her again, to supervise the injection as usual, but this time he had arrived with a rather large demon with skin the colour of a new bruise. It's black eyes stared at her and she fought the urge to flinch when she saw her reflection in them. Her face was bruised and swollen under the dirt and streaks of dried blood with old tear tracks cutting a path through the grime. She knew that asking the demon, who was introduced as a knight of Hell, if he had ever heard of mouthwash would earn her a hit but she just couldn't help herself.

The knight lunged forward and gripped her shoulders inadvertently popping her shoulder back into place and she couldn't stop the whimper of pain slipping from her mouth.

"You'd do well to learn some respect little girl" the knight sneered at her before shoving her backwards and turning from her to walk from the cell, stopping when he heard her chuckle. He looked over his shoulder at her and she flipped him off.

"Never….will" she managed to say through her pain, her cheek felt like it was on fire and the pain in her jaw kept up a steady throb.

He laughed at her, "You are seven months pregnant little girl, another month and we can cut them from you," he said nodding at the guards to drop her to the floor, "My hounds would enjoy feeding on your remains"

"Fuck….you" she grunted, holding back the tears as the pain threatened to overwhelm her while she struggled to push herself into the corner with just her left arm and leg, watching the demons file out of the cell.

He walked towards her and gripped her chin between his fingers. She closed her eyes and screamed into her mouth, "Maybe when you are dead" he said, his lips curled up in a sneer, "My master will be pleased to know you are in pain after all the trouble you caused him in Sunnydale"

Buffys eyes widened when she realized that this was all engineered by the First and the knight just chuckled, stood and strolled through the door, a smiling Bainbridge on his heels. Once the door was locked again she let the tears fall, running her left hand over her bump as she felt them move within her. She closed her eyes and gave into the oblivion of sleep as the pain pulled her under.

She was startled awake a few hours later by the sounds of fighting in the hallway outside her door. The clash of steel on stone mixed with the echoing sound of gunshots and the shouts of the demons filtered through to her and she felt hope burst to life in her heart. She jumped and tried to scoot further back when her door was thrown open, the knight stood there snarling at her.

"If we can't have your children then I will kill them now, ridding us of you as well" he growled at her then made to take a step forward, grinning maliciously as Buffy whimpered with fright and tried to push herself into the wall as she held onto her stomach.

His eyes widened in shock and his hand came up to push against the invisible barrier that was preventing him from getting inside and he roared with frustration, his hand curling into a fist as he pounded on thin air. A sword point appeared through his throat and his hand dropped to his side as he gurgled, his black eyes wide with surprise. The sword was removed and he dropped to his knees revealing a very pissed off Giles standing behind him raising his sword and swinging it through the air to take his head which bounced against the invisible barrier before rolling away out of sight. The body slumped to the side and Giles kicked it out of his way before looking up and seeing Buffy slumped into the corner of the room looking up at him as tears ran down her face.

His eyes widened with surprise and fear and he stepped forward only to be stopped by the barrier, "Abby! Stop the spell!" he shouted and she heard Willow shout the same thing further away as she watched him pace like a caged animal in the doorway.

"Fucking hell Slayer" Spike said as he joined Giles at the door, wincing as he saw her injuries. They heard a noise to their left and he snarled, lunging in that direction just as she heard Willow shout that it was down.

Giles dropped his sword and surged into the room, pulling her into his arms and holding her to him. She wrapped her left arm around his neck as he squeezed her tighter and she moaned in pain causing him to pull back but she held on, gripping the back of his neck tighter and shaking her head, making him hold her despite the pain. He pulled away anyway and looked her over before bringing his hand up and cupping her bruised cheek, frowning when she flinched away from the touch. She blinked at him and brought her left hand up to her face then mimed a backhand, nodding when his eyes widened in understanding.

"Oh love" he whispered then watched as she brought his hand down to her stomach and flattened it over the surface, covering it with her own. His head bowed in sadness when he felt nothing, thinking the worst had happened again, but then shot up when he felt the movement under his palm, he smiled at her and she tried to smile back but stopped when the action caused her pain.

A scuffle at the door caught their attention and Giles growled when they saw Spike in full vamp mode holding up a bloody Bainbridge, Angel on the other side of him. "What do you want us to do pet?" Spike asked grinning at her.

"Quick or slow and painful?" Angel asked still wearing the face of the demon, leaning in and growling low in Bainbridge's ear, Spike laughing when he whimpered.

Before Buffy could respond Bainbridge dropped to the floor, the surprised vampires letting go of him as he fell, and reached into his jacket pulling out a small pistol. He had time to aim it at Buffy before Spike stomped on the arm holding it and the sounds of bones breaking was drowned out by his agonised scream, the gun falling from his hand as Angel bent and yanked him to his feet. Giles stood and in two quick strides was standing in front of him, drawing his fist back he punched Bainbridge in the face knocking him out cold and sneered as he slumped forward, held up by Angel and Spike.

"Tie him up, I'll phone the councils retrieval team but it will take them a few hours to collect him, what you do to him in that time is up to you" Giles said coldly. Angel nodded at him, gripping the back of Bainbridge's collar he dragged him away from the doorway as Spike rubbed his hands together in anticipation.

Spike turned back to Buffy and his face morphed back to normal, "We'll come by before we have to go back stateside," he said with a grin coming into the room and breaking the chains attached to her legs, "although I wouldn't mind staying in the motherland to be honest, it's been good to be home"

She nodded at him and he sauntered away whistling just as a scream echoed through the silence. Buffy tapped at Giles' pockets until she found and pulled out his phone, turning it on she opened up the text feature and tapped out a message before handing it to him.

He looked down and saw the words 'Need a doctor. Leg broken, shoulder was dislocated, jaw/cheek poss broken, ribs, head and back hurt. My fault, kept goading them, couldn't help it. Twins are completely fine, didn't want to hurt them just me' he looked up at her trying to hide his horror at her injuries and put his phone back into his pocket before carefully scooping her up and gently holding her in his arms, her left hand tightly gripping the fabric of his jumper at his shoulder.

"Heath is waiting at the hotel for us and then we'll get you home love" he said as she laid her head against his shoulder, "and we'll talk about your need to piss people off when your well again" he said and smiled when he felt her body vibrate from a silent laugh.

"Goddess what did they do to you?" Willow gasped when he reached the top of the stairs, Bainbridge's screams fading as they moved to the front door, "Xander's gone to get the minivan, he'll be here in a minute" she said as she brushed her hand over Buffys hair with tears in her eyes.

"Where's Spike and Angel?" Helen asked as she looked on in horror at the state of Buffy as Giles sat in a chair, cradling her close.

"Having fun" Giles said vehemently, looking over at the basement door, wishing he was down there with them.

Willow smiled grimly and pulled her phone out of her pocket, tapping out a number she pressed call and put it on speaker,

"Kinda busy here Red" Spike answered and they heard Bainbridge whimper.

"Make it hurt Spike" Willow said angrily, gripping Buffys good hand.

"Spike put Angel on" Giles said, shifting Buffy slightly, grimacing in apology as she whimpered.

"My turn peaches, Watcher wants a word" Spike said gleefully and then Angel was on the phone.

"Not there lower, didn't I teach you anything. What is it Giles?"

"I found a room full of tools and torture devices when I was looking for Buffy" Giles said looking down at her when she gripped the front of his jumper, her eyes wide with a silent question. Shaking his head, he bent to place a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"Spike, Giles said there's a room full of toys down here somewhere, go find it"

"You go find it I'm busy" they heard him reply just as Bainbridge screamed, "Nancy boy here's too easy, all I did was pinch him"

"You're using pliers dumbass…How's she doing?" Angel asked as they heard Spike laugh in the background. Willow rolled her eyes and looked over at Abby and Helen who were trying to stifle their grins at the now familiar way that Angel and Spike spoke to each other.

"Broken leg, dislocated shoulder, possible broken jaw or cheekbone, her ribs, head and back hurt and she has various cuts and bruises on her arms and chest" Giles said as the front door opened and Xander walked in.

"At least we have a list to work off of" Angel said angrily.

"We'll let you get back to it but don't kill him, the board is going to want to punish him as well" Giles said and nodded at Willow who then hung up the phone.

"Minivan's right outside, I dropped the back seats so she can lay down and I swiped some quilts from the laundry room to lay her on" Xander said his eye focused on Buffy as she scrunched her eyes shut and held onto Giles, her face turning a few shades paler as he straightened and shifted her weight in his arms.

"Thank you Xander" Giles said and walked out of the door towards the back of the minivan, the doors already open. He started in surprise when he saw Heath sitting there and lay her in the nest of quilts that Xander had built and climbed in and sat next to her, grimacing at her moans of pain as she shifted her self around determined to lean against him.

"We're going straight back to Bath where I can treat her at the Academy, I won't be able to explain the tests and healing rate anywhere else" Heath said as he shuffled forward and looked into her eyes, "Willow should put her out for the trip so she won't feel the bumps and so she can rest"

"Let me at her then" Willow said walking around the back doors and climbing in. she crouched down in front of Buffy and smiled at her, "Ready to sleep Buff?" she asked and Buffy nodded, her eyes crinkling in a smile.

Willow placed her hand on Buffys forehead and closed her eyes, beginning a chant in Latin under breath and within seconds Buffy was asleep, her head rolling to the side against Giles' chest. "She'll be out for about five hours" she said, giving Giles' arm a squeeze as she slid from the van.

"Did she indicate if the twins were hurt?" Heath asked after Willow had climbed out and moved to the seats in front of them.

Giles kept his eyes on his wife as he lightly combed his fingers through her hair, "I felt them move and she wrote out a message on my phone telling me of her injuries and that they wanted to hurt her not the twins" he said in a pained voice.

"What are her injuries?" Heath asked as he began an examination, Xander starting the van and pulling out into traffic.

"Leg is broken possibly her jaw or cheekbone, her shoulder was dislocated and her ribs, head and back hurt plus she's been on this" Giles said straightening his leg and pulling out a vile of liquid and handing it to him.

"Is this..."

"Yes but it's stronger I think, the colour is different than I remember" he said looking up at him and seeing Willow and Abby looking at them somberly over the back of the seats.

"Can I see it?" Abby asked and Heath handed it back to her, submitting readily at the skill she possessed as a potion maker. She pulled out the cork and poured a little in her hand then handed the vial to Willow before holding her other hand over it and whispering words they couldn't hear as she rubbed her hands together. Then she pulled them apart, the liquid now viscous and stretched between them with words and images glittering across it's surface.

"It's okay," she said turning and smiling at them after ending the spell, "It's not stronger, it's weaker than the one you used years ago and it has a couple of different ingredients in it. Depending on how many injections they've given her she should be fine in a couple of days"

"How many injections would cause her powers to stay repressed for longer?" Heath asked as he examined her arms.

"More than four and we could have a problem, the original was only needed to be administered twice to be effective for more than a week" Abby said watching as Heath moved closer to her left arm, his thumb moving over the skin in her elbow, "How many Heath?"

"It looks like it was administered at least seven times, that's one a day" he said looking up at Giles with a panicked expression, "What does that mean for her abilities?" he asked looking back at Abby.

"Could mean a fortnight but it could mean a month, I don't know" she said sadly, shaking her head.

"So she's gonna be in bed for the next month at least until her power flips back on and her healing kicks up" Xander said loudly from the front of the van.

"Possibly" Abby said, "I'll go to the coven when we get back and ask Penelope to help me figure out if we can reverse the effects by making an antidote"

"We'll go now" Willow said gripping her hand, "We'll see you at the Academy in a few hours Giles" she told him before disappearing.

"It's creepy when she does that" they heard Xander say, Helen letting out a giggle as she shifted over and lay her head on his shoulder. Giles grinned at him before shifting his attention back to Heath as he inserted a cannula in the back of her hand and attached a fluid bag, hanging it from a hook on the roof, before pulling out a syringe full of antibiotics and pushing it into the other tube. He pulled out some bandages and routed around in the weapons bag for a minute before pulling out a couple of small sheaths made for short swords and then set about splinting Buffys right leg. Once he was done he shifted back and sat leaning against the opposite side of the van facing them, "It's all I feel comfortable doing until we get to the academy but by the look of that leg she might need surgery to set it properly" Heath said regretfully, "Can you put her out Helen?"

"Yeah, it's a simple enough spell. Why don't you just put her under anaesthetic?" She asked him, turning in her seat to look back at them.

"Because the twins would be affected as well and I want to avoid any stress to them at this point. Although they weren't harmed, the stress Buffy has been under this past week won't have been good for them" Heath said as he watched Giles fish his phone out of his pocket.

"That makes sense" Helen said as she watched him bring the phone to his ear and lean back against the side, his other hand absently stroking Buffys head. She looked back at Xander with tears in her eyes and he just grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips, the corner of his mouth curling up slightly in understanding.

"Dawn, we've got her….It's bad but not as bad as it looks…...The twins are fine, how are the kids?…...As long as they're not climbing the walls or moping about then it's okay…..We're on our way back, taking her to the Academy so she can heal…..No not this time, she won't want them to see her like this….Yes don't worry I'll keep you informed…...Don't worry Dawn she'll be fine….speak to you soon"

"Everything alright at home?" Xander asked as he indicated to get on the M4.

"Kids are in bed at the moment but they have been keeping themselves occupied fairly well and Dawn reports that there have been no problems" Giles said leaving the phone on the floor next to him, "Heath, can you help me lay her down?"

Heath shot forward and arranged a quilt against the back of the seats so she had a cushion against her back and the rest of them on the floor so she had support for her leg and stomach then helped Giles gently shift her to the side so her head was resting on his thigh. He used the opportunity to have a quick look at her back by ripping the fabric down the middle and frowned at the bruising over her spine. After a quick prod with his fingers his face relaxed and he let out a relieved breath when he felt no obvious trauma to the vertebrae but frowned again when he felt around her side and found three fractured ribs on her right side.

Giles hung up the phone, finished with his phone call to Louis telling him what had happened and asking to him send a team to collect Bainbridge, and rested his head against the seat behind him letting his eyes close, his lack of sleep finally catching up to him as he let the gentle sway of the van lull him into a doze, his hand still on Buffys head.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

About an hour outside of Bath Heath got on the phone issuing orders to his team at the Academy, telling them what he needed and to be waiting with a gurney and a back board. When he was done he told the others that he would get out first and help Giles lay Buffy on the back board before sliding her out of the van and onto the gurney then take her straight to the medical wing and his portable X-Ray machine to assess what needed to be done with her leg and arm and if she had in fact sustained a break in her cheek or jaw.

Once they pulled up the drive to the front doors of the Academy everything happened quickly and Giles was left to follow behind her as she was pushed up the ramp into the hospital wing, a crowd of potentials watching and whispering to each other as she passed them. Xander drove off leaving them there, needing to return the van and drop off their things to the house. Helen stayed close to Giles as he sat in a chair outside of the ward and waited for Heath to call them in.

"It's her cheekbone that's fractured but her jaw is pretty badly bruised as well with what looks to be a very slight hairline fracture, her leg doesn't need surgery to straighten it like I thought and once Eliza is back from the hospital I can put it in a cast for now" Heath said as Giles rushed to Buffys bedside and covered her hand with his, bending at the waist he placed a kiss on her forehead.

"What about everything else?" he asked as he sat down in the chair next to her.

"Nasty lump on the back of her head, a hairline fracture at her right temple, her shoulder was dislocated but has been relocated without any complications and three fractured ribs but the rest is just superficial. She's been cleaned and had antiseptic ointment applied to the cuts and scratches and other than the fluids and the cast there's nothing else I need to do, at least until Abigail and Willow get here that is" Heath said from the foot of her bed, Helen walking round to stand opposite Giles.

"And Hannah and Christopher? Are you sure they're alright?" Giles asked placing a hand over the movement he could see as one of his children stretched.

"Positive. I checked with an ultrasound and everything is as it should be" Heath said reassuringly.

Willow and Abby burst through the door then, Abby handing a small vial to Heath, "Antidote," she said with a smile, "Penelope is a miracle worker and has managed to make one that will completely reverse the effects of the compound in just one injection" Abby said happily, grinning at the look of relief on Giles' face.

"She spelled it to counteract the compound faster, so she should start to heal in a few hours" Willow said putting her hand on his shoulder and giving it a squeeze.

Heath was busy preparing the syringe to push it through the cannula that was already in her hand as they were talking and Giles watched silently as he pushed it through the tube. He turned his attention to Buffy and watched her face for any sign that the antidote was working. After ten minutes of silent observation Willow, Abby and Helen left the room to reassure the girls that were crowded around the door.

They all loved Buffy and were worried about her. Giles smirked when he remembered the day she had stood over the prone form of a potential who was crying about a sprained ankle and lifted her shirt, showing her the scar she had received as a result of the fight in the hellmouth and told her, and the others, how she got it. Then she showed them the rest of her scars and they hadn't complained after that.

She was a good teacher, just as he knew she would be, and motherhood had made her an even better one. She loved each and every one of the potentials that were housed here and had fought against the Watchers rigid rules for the dorms allowing the girls to have whatever fun they wanted after a hard day of training and lessons even if it was just a movie night or, in the case of the older girls, a trip to the local club.

He and Heath sat there in silence for another thirty minutes until Giles noticed her colour returning in her face. He sat up and squeezed her hand, wincing when she squeezed it back and smiling at Heath as she opened her eyes.

"Great, another hospital bed," she moaned, her voice rough, "I'm having these kids at home, I'm sick of hospitals"

Giles laughed and brought his other hand up to cup her face as he leant forward and kissed her, "How are you feeling?" he asked her, carefully sitting on the bed next to her.

"Like shit but better than I was, stronger at least" she said looking up at him, "why do I feel stronger?"

"Penelope developed an antidote to the compound that prick Bainbridge gave you and the fact that you feel stronger already is a very good sign my love" Giles said brushing the backs of his fingers over her fractured cheekbone.

"That doesn't hurt does it?" Heath asked stepping forward and shining his penlight in her eyes.

"Not as much no, my leg feels better too," she said looking down at it and wiggling her toes, "Man that hurt when I straightened it"

"You straightened your own leg?" Heath asked, his eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Well yeah, I couldn't leave it wonky, it hurt more" she said smirking at him.

"Unbelievable" he muttered as he carried out a physical inspection of her injuries. She winced when he prodded her leg and arm but he smiled at her, "The bones have already started to knit, by the feel of them I'd say you broke them weeks ago not days"

"But I never heal that quick from a break" Buffy said frowning up at Giles who was wearing a similar expression.

Before he could voice an opinion Xander walked in through the door holding a bag in one hand and his cellphone in the other, pressed to his ear.

"Alright I'm here, give it a rest already" he said then handed the phone to Giles as he dropped the bag on the floor next to his chair, "Clothes for the Buffster and Lizzy is on the phone doing her best to channel her mother in a snit" he said blowing out a breath as Buffy giggled, "How ya feeling Buff?" he asked as Giles stood and brought the phone up to his ear with a smile on his face.

"Like I got hit by a bus, you?" she answered with a half grin, the pain in her cheek and jaw making a full smile impossible.

"Great, next time you get snatched I'm staying at home" he said flopping down in the chair Giles had vacated, "Your husband is a headcase when you're not around and dealing with Spike in scooby sarcasm withdrawal and the brooding champ of the world in the same room is so not fun"

Buffy giggled again, "That bad huh" she said with another half smile.

He just looked at her with a what-do-you-think expression and turned his attention back to Giles who was pacing and trying to calm Lizzy down, "I promise you she's fine sweetheart" he said and looked over at Buffy who was holding her hand out for the phone, "Your Mum wants to talk to you hold on" he walked over and handed the phone to Buffy.

"Lizzy?"

"Mummy? You're really okay?" Lizzy asked and Buffy closed her eyes when she heard her call her Mummy, something she hasn't done since she was eight.

"Not a hundred percent but yeah, I'm okay doodle-bug" she said, a tear rolling down her face as Lizzy burst into tears.

"Tommy, Olly, Mum's okay" she heard her shout out, hearing the sounds of footsteps thundering down the stairs a moment later and then Tommys voice came on the line.

"Mum?"

"Yes Tommy it's really me. I'm sorry about your birthday" she said, the tears now coming thick and fast.

"I don't care about that, when will you be home and can we come and see you?" he asked thickly.

"Soon hopefully, I'm a little banged up and I don't want you guys to see me like this" she said wiping a hand over her face, looking over at Giles and Xander who were gesticulating wildly at each other as they argued in hushed tones in the corner.

"We don't care what you look like we want you home" Tommy said and then there was the sound of a struggle and Olly hissing at him.

"Mum? We want you home. Spike called and said you were ugly and I wanna see" Olly said and she could hear the curiosity in his voice.

She gritted her teeth, biting back the hiss as pain lanced through her, "Spike should keep his trap shut but I'll be home when Heath says I can leave how's that?"

"Okay I guess, can we come and see you?" he asked her his voice dropping in disappointment.

"Not just yet monkey" she told him then heard him yelp a little and the rustle of the phone changing hands.

"Can we come to see you?" Tommy asked her and she could tell by the sound of his voice that he would come no matter what she said so she pulled one of her Mom tricks.

"Not just yet bubba okay, I promise I will call you everyday but just let me recover a little bit first okay?" she heard his breath catch when she used her baby name for him, one she hadn't used since he told her he was too big for her to call him it anymore when he was seven.

"Okay but Heath better let you come home soon or I'll be coming up there and I won't be leaving until you do" he said and she heard the determination in his voice.

"Deal. Now put me on speaker" she said with a smile, her heart swelling with pride for her eldest son.

"Okay you're on speaker" he said and she heard the echo of his voice which meant they were standing in the dining room.

"Your father will be home to see you in a little while" she said.

"No I bloody well won't be" he said loudly from across the room and she heard the snickers from her children which meant they had heard it as well.

"Yeah 'cause it's likely Dad will leave you" Lizzy said and Buffy could practically hear the eye roll she knew would accompany those words.

"Yeah come on Mum, he didn't leave you for long the last time you were in hospital" Tommy said with a chuckle.

"Granted but this time he will" Buffy said and rolled her eyes at Giles who had folded his arms across his chest and was glaring at her with a stubborn look on his face, "I want you to behave for your Aunt and Uncle and I'll be home before you know it okay, we have a birthday to celebrate"

"Don't worry about that Mum" Tommy muttered.

"Telling me not to worry is like telling your Dad not to be so stubborn" she said.

"Oi!" he yelled at her good naturedly and she giggled along with the kids.

"I love you and I miss you all so much" she said softly.

"Even me and Lizzy arguing?" Olly asked cheerfully.

"Yes even that" she said smiling fully even though it hurt, "I need to get some sleep now, I'll call you later when you get home from school"

"I love you" she heard three separate voices call out, "We'll talk to you later, get better" Tommy finished and after a quick bye they hung up on Dawns voice telling them to hurry up.

She handed the phone back to Giles and pulled him down on the bed next to her, turning her head into his chest as she cried. He held her gently, not wanting to hurt her, and rubbed her back soothing her. Soon her sobs quieted and she fell asleep, his arms tightening around her as he thought about what Xander had told him.

How could he tell her that Bainbridge had somehow escaped from the retrieval team, aided by one of their own? He looked down at her face, her tears drying on her cheeks, and hated himself for having to take away her feeling of safety now that he had her back. Pulling his phone from his pocket he tapped out a quick message, staring at the phone until he received a reply. Smiling to himself, he settled down in the bed and let the sound of her deep even breaths lull him to sleep.


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer:- See first chapter.**

 **Rating:- T**

 **A/N:-** Sorry for the hiatus, laptop was sent off for repair and the delivery took longer than it should have done.

Chapter 14

 _Not long left. Not long left._ That was the mantra running through Buffys mind as she levered her massive bulk up off the sofa so she could go to the toilet for what felt like the hundredth time today. Groaning she twisted to the side so she could push herself up, one hand holding her belly and the other pushing against the arm of the sofa.

She could feel Oz watching her and rolled her eyes as she bit back a grin. Oz and his friends Gideon and Peter had showed up at her door two and a half weeks ago, a week after she had been rescued from her cell, and it was a surprise to everyone except Xander and Giles. That was when she found out about Bainbridge's escape which also answered her questions about why Angel had left to go back home but Spike had stayed behind.

" _Why didn't you tell me?" she demanded as Oz was almost knocked over by Olly and Jesse._

" _I didn't want to worry you love but I texted Oz and asked him to come and watch over you until this situation with Bainbridge is resolved" Giles said calmly hoping to placate his very angry pregnant wife._

" _So I have Werewolf as well as Witch and Vampire protection now is that it? And exactly when did you decide I was helpless?" she asked in a clipped tone as she glared at him from her prone position on the sofa._

" _Not helpless, never helpless, this is more for my peace of mind than anything and I'm sorry we didn't tell you of his escape but..."_

" _But nothing!" she snapped pushing herself up onto her elbows, "We swore to each other that there would be no more lies and that included lies of omission"_

" _I know I'm sorry but please make sure either Oz, Gideon or Peter is with you whenever you go out just in case" he begged her tentatively sitting opposite her on the coffee table and taking her hand._

" _Fine but it's not as if I even go out anymore" she capitulated and sank back against the pillows, "Can I have a cup of tea?"_

" _Of course, I'll get it for you" Giles said jumping up and disappearing into the kitchen where everyone else had taken refuge from the storm that was a hormone drenched Buffy._

" _She wasn't that bad with the others" Oz said wryly as he saw the relief on Giles' face._

" _It's because she's carrying twins" Olly said cheerfully as he sat at the island eating his way through the biscuit tin with Jesse, "at least that's what Dad says when she goes bat shit crazy"_

" _Oliver!" Giles snapped, turning from the tea preparation and glaring at him._

" _What? That's what Uncle Xander says when she goes off on one" he said looking up at his father innocently as the others all tried to smother their laughter._

" _Yes well, that isn't something you should repeat" Giles said turning back to the kettle as it whistled, "and Xander should remember that your mother has rather good hearing and the ability to put him in traction should she ever hear him say it"_

" _Just as well I can outrun her right now then" Xander said snatching the biscuit tin away from Olly._

" _Wanna bet" Buffy called out from the living room. Xander yelped and jumped back, dropping the biscuit tin to the floor where it landed with a clang, spilling the biscuits everywhere._

" _Told you" Giles said as he picked up the tray with Buffys tea and some of her favourite snack foods on it and pushed through the door grinning smugly as the others giggled._

Smiling at the memory, she was stopped from pushing herself upright by one of the twins stretching when Giles walked in the front door with kids. When he saw the grimace on her face he raced over and put his hands on her back, rubbing it in small circles.

"What's wrong? Is it happening? Should I call Heath?" he asked in a panicked rush, the kids looking on with a mix of excitement and worry and a little bit of fear on their faces.

"I need to pee" Buffy bit out as she finally managed to stand up, "And stop with the rubbing, I'm not a dog" she snapped as she shrugged off his hands and waddled out of the room.

Sighing, Giles turned to Oz and asked if everything had been okay while he was in London, dutifully ignoring the grunts coming from his children as they tried not to laugh, "Don't you three have homework to do?" he asked them wearily.

"Nope, they don't give us anything but reading and research over the holidays and we break up for Easter on Friday so they won't give any now" Tommy said shrugging off his jacket.

"Same here" Lizzy said as her phone trilled out an annoying noise and she dug it from her bag, "Cool, Katy Perry has a new album coming out" she said as she looked down at the screen.

"Katy Perry sucks" Olly said dropping his bag and coat on the floor as he made his way to the kitchen.

"She's better than that crap Nickelback" Lizzy shot back as she hung up her coat, "I'll play her at your funeral after Mum kills you for leaving your stuff on the floor" she shouted with a grin as she made her way up the stairs.

Olly came running back into the living room and grabbed his things up just as Buffy waddled back into the room. He hurriedly opened his bag and pulled out a certificate, holding it out for Buffy as she stopped in front of him, "Look Mum, I was given star of the week for helping Mrs Hopkins with the library this week" he said with a grin.

"Kiss arse" Tommy mumbled as he opened the kitchen door earning a glare from Buffy but he just smiled back at her and she rolled her eyes, her lips twitching with a reluctant grin.

"Well done Olly" she said smiling down at him as she took the certificate and ruffled his hair, "Now maybe you could tidy your room before I go in with a black bag and throw out everything that's on the floor"

"But my Xbox is on the floor" Olly said, horrified at the prospect that his beloved Xbox could be thrown out.

"I know, so go do it, you have two hours" she said giving him a nudge towards the stairs.

He stopped half way up and turned to look at her, "But how can you throw anything away when Dad needs to help you upstairs every night" he asked her with a cheeky grin.

She scowled at him and stepped towards the stairs, he squealed and ran up the remaining steps laughing as he stumbled around the corner, "Cheeky git" she said as she moved over to the cuddle chair she had claimed as her own.

"Everything was fine Giles" Oz said, replying to his earlier question, "Buff, you want me to go up and help him?" he asked her as she let Giles help her sit down.

"You can if you want but if you could just make sure he does it that would be great" she said with a smile and he nodded and left the room.

"How are you feeling today love?" Giles asked her as he pushed the pouffe under her feet.

"Like hammered shit" she said resting her head back against the chair, "I keep telling myself not long left but time seems to have slowed down and these last few weeks seem to be dragging"

"It did with the others remember" he said softly, bending down to kiss her head, "You have five weeks until your due date but remember what Heath said about carrying twins?"

"That they always come early, I know but….I just want them safe and I can't keep them safe like this" she said looking down at the massive bump that was overtaking her body.

"That is why I called Oz. And why Willow, Abby and Helen have drafted the coven to help with protection spells, it's also why that prat has stayed in our guest house," he said with a sneer, "How Oz and the others put up with him I'll never know"

Buffy giggled and he looked down at her with a soft smile, "They play the PlayStation, Fifa I think and Oz said that Gideon and Spike have drinking contests and Peter exchanges insults with him"

"Why do I get the feeling that he'll be staying in England permanently?" Giles asked as he sat on the sofa next to her chair.

"Umm because he is" she said looking at him with a wide eyed expression of shock, "You didn't know?"

"No I didn't know, when was this decided?" He asked dropping his head against the back of the sofa in defeat even though he was secretly relieved the vampire would be staying.

"Last week, he asked Cordy to ask the Powers if he could stay in England and they said yes" she said shifting slightly in the chair, "Apparently Connor is taking over from him and working with his Dad now that he knows he's alive"

"But Connor is a teacher now and isn't he married with a child on the way?"

"And? Didn't stop Alaric from doing it"

"Yes but Alaric is fictional dear" he said rolling his eyes, he still didn't see the appeal in watching that show when real life was enough of a drama for them.

"But Connor is super powered so he should manage just fine besides his wife is a Slayer remember, just because she chose to stay out of it doesn't mean she actually does, it's instinct ninety percent of the time" she said patting him on the hand that was rubbing her belly.

"What's the other ten percent?" he said, grinning as he felt one of the babies kick at his hand.

"Sufferance and pushy Watchers" she said grinning back at him as he laughed at her.

Xander walked in from the kitchen with a cup of coffee in his hand and Buffy growled at him, "Get that out of here, no fair flaunting what I can't have under my nose"

"Ah but this is decaf and it's for you" he said stopping next to her chair with a smug grin on his face.

"Yuck, decaf sucks" she said taking it from him with a grimace.

"True but you're already tense and I don't think adding caffeine to your blood stream would be safe for the rest of us" he said backing away from her, laughing as he ducked the cushion she threw at him, "Will says dinner will be another hour and Dawn is coming over later to finish the nursery" he said as Olly shouted down for Giles to come up.

"Where's Jesse and Helen?" she asked smiling up at Giles as he got up to see what Olly wanted.

"Helen is at the coven with Abby, probably on their way back right now and Jesse is beating Spike up with the nun-chucks Oz bought him" Xander said dropping himself down in the seat Giles vacated.

"Cool, wish I could watch" she said resting her mug on the arm of the chair and wincing with pain as she felt her stomach tighten again.

"What is it?" Xander asked watching her warily.

"Nothing, just braxton hicks" she said rubbing her belly with a frown.

"Oh okay, need anything?" he asked standing up again as Giles came back down the stairs.

"I'm good thanks" she said with a smile and watched as he returned to the kitchen, "What did Olly want?" she asked Giles as he sat back down.

"For me to tell you that it was done and to take a picture to show you for proof" he said holding out his phone and showing her the picture of Olly standing in his clean bedroom sticking his tongue out.

She laughed and sat back, "What's he doing now?"

"Showing Oz his city in Minecraft"

"You don't have to sit here with me, I know you have paperwork to go through" she said handing him her now empty mug to put on the coffee table.

"It can wait" he said lifting her feet off of the pouffe and sitting on it, smiling when she groaned as he began to massage them.

She just nodded and relaxed back into the chair, enjoying the spontaneous massage.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was a week later that Giles' paranoia became reality while Buffy was in the garden hanging some washing on the line. She had just finished pegging a sheet up when she heard the crack of dry twigs breaking behind her, before she could turn she felt the cold steel of a blade pressed to her stomach and the hot breath of someone on her neck.

"Don't move" the voice said pointlessly. Pointless because as soon as she had felt the blade she had frozen, her heart jumping into overdrive.

She looked around with her eyes and saw Gideon watching his lips drawn up in a snarl at the other end of the garden and she relaxed a little. She closed her eyes and called out to the others using their link and tried to slow her heart rate down.

"What do you want?" she asked in a whisper, dropping Giles' shirt back into the basket.

He started to move backwards, pulling her with him, "We want to finish what we started in Canterbury" he whispered against her skin and she shuddered with revoltion which he took to mean as fear, chuckling as he pulled the arm across her chest tighter forcing her to stumble slightly.

"Mum!" she heard Tommy yell and was swung around by her attacker to face him. She blinked in shock when she saw him standing there, his face contorted in anger and reminding her of Ripper, "Get, Away. From. My. Mother" Tommy said slowly, the words laced with the anger that was burning from his eyes, his hands clenched into fists at his sides.

Buffys eyes flicked away from her son when Giles, Willow, Helen, Olly and Lizzy surged through the backdoor, stopping abruptly behind Tommy when they saw the scene on the lawn. She jerked in surprise when shouts of fear erupted behind her and she tried turning her head to see what was happening only to be jerked back by the increase in pressure of the arm that was now around her throat and the blade against her stomach. Her twins, who had been moving a few minutes ago, were now still and she felt a familiar tightening of her stomach. She groaned and locked eyes with Giles, sending him the message that it had started and they had better hurry.

Giles' face blanched as he looked at her and he took a step forward only to stop in surprise when his children joined hands.

"Stop them!" she heard a familiar voice shout above the growls of the Werewolves and she heard the crack of gunfire. Screaming, she watched as the air rippled in front of Tommy and she almost sagged in relief. She let her anger take over and gripped the hand holding the knife to her stomach and squeezed, smiling in satisfaction when she felt the bones crunch and her attacker scream in agony.

She pushed the hand away and the knife dropped harmlessly to the grass as she spun and twisted his arm up, backhanding him across the face in the same motion and letting him go when he dropped to the floor unconscious, seeing Giles lift his phone to his ear as she looked up to check that her children were unharmed.

She turned and sought out the owner of the familiar voice and snarled when she saw Bainbridge standing in the middle of a group of five other men, surrounded by the wolves. She stalked towards him, ignoring the tightening of her stomach, shoving her way through the group. She gripped him by the throat and lifted him off of his feet,

"You'd think you would have learned the last time you had me Bainbridge," she said, her voice calm despite the rage that was swirling inside of her, "The First can't have me, it can't have my children and it will never win, not against us"

She had walked backwards as she was talking, taking him out of the protection of the other men and closer to her family, when a painful contraction hit and she stumbled, dropping him as she staggered back, laying a hand over her stomach.

She had her eyes closed and didn't see Bainbridge reach inside his jacket and pull out a wicked looking dagger, the tip coated in a black substance. Giles and Tommy both shouted out a warning at the same time and her eyes snapped open to see him lunging at her. She reacted on instinct, ignoring the pain in her middle she gripped his hand and slid her other arm under his, forcing him to bend his arm or risk breaking it like the other one and buried the dagger into his shoulder.

Stumbling back as he screamed she groaned and gripped her belly. Giles caught her as she fell to her knees, both of them dropping to the ground in a tangle of legs. Willow and Helen stepped forward, now joined by Abby, and held their hands up in front of them muttering under their breath and soon all six men were bound together by an invisible rope, two of them whimpering and cradling their arms, bleeding from what looked like bites and Buffy managed a satisfied grin when she saw the Glocks they had been holding laying discarded on the floor.

"Buffy? Love, are you okay?" Giles asked softly, brushing her hair out of her face as he shuffled around, positioning her in his lap.

"They're coming…..call Heath" she grunted, pulling her knees up with the urge to push. Olly had taken a grand total of an hour to come into this world and it looked like the twins were going to be even quicker.

"Xander help me!" he called out, standing and reaching down to grip her under the arms to help her stand, "Tommy phone Heath….."

"Don't bother" Willow said disappearing in a swirl of magic, leaving Helen and Abby to stand watch over the men, the wolves sitting on their haunches beside them.

"Okay, phone your Aunt and tell her it's time" he said still looking at Tommy as he nodded and rushed back into the house.

Xander was there on the other side of Buffy bracing her as they lifted her off the ground and pulled her towards the house, "Lizzy, Olly, go get some towels and blankets, some pillows too" he said giving his panicked children something to do.

He had done this before, Tommy having come quite suddenly as they were on the way to the hospital, so he knew what to do. Abby ran into the house ahead of them, shoving open the doors to the dining room with a bang and swept her arms over the dining table pushing everything off and onto the floor just as Xander and Giles lifted her up and placed her on the end.

Lizzy and Olly came rushing in with Tommy, their arms laden with towels and blankets which Giles and Abby took from them and immediately started laying them out, Buffy lifting herself up so Giles could lay a couple of towels and a blanket under her and pull her sweats and underwear off after he had placed one over her legs. A pillow shoved behind her back made her roll her eyes and pull it out, "Won't help" she muttered at Xander who just shrugged and herded the kids out of the room.

Willow appeared with Heath in the kitchen and ran towards the sound of grunting in the dining room just as Buffys water broke.

"Out of the way" Heath said dropping his bag on the floor and shoving Giles to the side. He glared at him then climbed up onto the table behind Buffy and cradled her between his legs.

She gripped his legs and lent back against him, closing her eyes when he kissed her temple and placed his hands on her knees, "Is Louis coming" she asked him, sitting up and grunting with the effort to push, Heath sat on a chair between her legs telling her to stop.

"Don't worry about that now" Giles whispered, gripping her knees tighter as she panted through the urge to push, Heath telling her to wait.

"Bainbridge?" she asked crying out when Heath ordered her to push and she felt the rush of the baby sliding out of her.

A cry filled the air and Heath held up the baby smiling broadly at them, "It's a boy" he said happily as he lowered him onto the towel that was in his lap and clipped off the cord before handing Giles the scissors and Buffy Christopher who stopped crying as soon as he was laid in her arms.

Giles cut the cord and looked down at his wife and son staring at each other with a smile on his face. He ran a finger down his sons face, kissing Buffy when she turned her face towards his then called Willow into the room, knowing she was standing just outside, when Buffy tensed up again.

"Can you take him for a minute?" Buffy said holding him out to her, "Hannah's coming"

"Of course I can" she said hurrying over with a big grin on her face and taking Christopher from her, cooing over him as she turned and sat in a chair behind them.

"Okay Buffy, on your next contraction I want you to push, hard" Heath said shifting forward a little on the chair.

She rolled her eyes at him and he grinned at her before dropping his head between her legs. She sat up and pushed, holding onto her own legs this time, and blew out a breath as she sat back, Giles whispering in her ear telling her loved her and that she was doing a good job.

"Rupert, sweetie," she said as she panted.

"Yes love?" he asked rubbing her upper arms.

"Shut up" she said and grinned when she heard both Willow and Heath snort a laugh.

"Yes dear" Giles said and she could hear the grin in his voice.

"Hard as you can on the next one Buffy" Heath said from his position and she pushed, grunting with the effort not to use her full strength and harm her daughter.

She dropped back against Giles' chest, panting as she tried to suck oxygen into her lungs and groaned when she felt another urge to push.

"No! Don't push!" Heath said urgently and she felt his fingers slide down into her against Hannah's neck.

"What's wrong" Giles asked urgently as Buffy grunted with the effort not to do what her body wanted to do.

"Her cords wrapped around her neck" Heath said and she felt him wiggling his fingers and then pull.

She whimpered with the need to push and the worry for her daughter and grabbed Giles' hand, "Rupert" she whined.

"Ssh love, it'll be okay, Heath knows what he's doing" he said softly, his lips brushing her ear as he spoke, gripping her hand tightly.

Christopher began to cry and both Giles and Buffy turned their heads to see what was wrong just as Heath swore, "Fuck it" he said and she felt a yank, "Push Buffy!" he said urgently and she let go of the control she was exerting over her body and bore down, feeling Hannah slide out.

Christopher continued to cry as they waited anxiously to hear their daughters cry join his, "Come on baby girl, you can do it" they heard Heath muttering and Buffy began to cry, shaking her head side to side as she mumbled no over and over again.

Giles wrapped his arms around her and held his breath, the sound of his son crying the only sound in the room as they all waited for Hannah to cry. Suddenly Christopher stopped and Heath let out a joyous laugh just as Hannah started to wail, "Good girl" he said in relief as he handed her up to Buffy.

Buffy let out a gasp and reached for her daughter, laughing in relief when she saw her face scrunched up in annoyance. Giles held both of them and rocked as he cried tears of relief and joy having just spent the last ninety seconds reliving the day that Cara had been born.

"Here Buffy" Willow said softly and she turned her head to see Willow standing there with Christopher, her own face wet with tears.

Buffy shifted Hannah over and Willow laid Christopher next to his sister on Buffys chest. Willows eyes unfocused and she smiled, "Look at them Giles" she said, her voice filled with awe.

Giles knew what Willow meant and unfocused his eyes enough to see their auras, gasping when he did. They were both a bright swirl of colours wrapped in silver, a rich purple and a deep green predominant in both of them and when he tried to focus on each one he found he couldn't. They were wrapped so completely around the other that he couldn't separate the two.

"What do you see?" Buffy asked looking up at both of them.

"Their auras are joined" Giles said bending his head to kiss her.

"What does that mean" Buffy asked looking up at him in confusion.

"No idea but at this point in time I don't care" he said smiling at her

"Will they be safe?" Buffy asked looking down at the now sleeping babies.

"Oh I'd say so" Willow said with a grin, "I can already feel them like I can you guys"

Buffy frowned and concentrated on the twins, Giles doing the same and then they both smiled when they felt the connection to them.

"Can we come in now" Xander called out, "We can feel them too"

Heath pulled Buffys legs down and covered her with a blanket before dropping a towel over the placentas that lay on the one on the floor and nodded.

"Yes you can come in" Buffy called out, laughing happily when her other three children came barreling into the room.

"Eeww what's that stuff all over them?" Olly asked looking down at his new siblings.

"Well it's a mixture of blood and….."

"Doesn't matter" Buffy said cutting Heath off with a glare, "They'll be clean soon"

"Wow Mum, remind me never to get pregnant" Lizzy said looking down at her with a grimace and Buffy knew that she, and everyone else probably, had felt the pain of delivery. She grinned at Helen with a kind of sadistic glee, the grin widening when she it saw returned and the look on Xanders face.

"That wouldn't be a problem for me" Giles said with a happy grin.

"Which one's which?" Tommy asked leaning over Lizzy to get a better look.

"This one is Christopher and this one is Hannah" Buffy said laying a hand over each of them.

"Congratulations Mrs Giles" a voice called from behind the others and they parted to show Louis standing there with Adrian, both of them smiling.

"Is everything taken care of?" Giles asked him as Buffy nodded her thanks.

"Yes, the six gentlemen aiding Bainbridge have been taken to the holding cells at headquarters, we'll decide what to do with them later" Adrian said stepping into the room ahead of Louis.

"And Bainbridge?" Buffy asked him warily.

"Dead" Louis said stepping up next to Adrian, "It seems the dagger that was meant for you was tipped in a particularly lethal poison which caused a blackness to spread over the skin. It is my belief that he was ordered by the First to kill you and the twins this time"

"Well I for one am glad that he didn't succeed" Adrian said as he took in the scene on the table. Both Buffy and Giles were looking at each other, a myriad of emotions playing over their faces as they absorbed the news.

"Thanks for the training Watcher-Mine" Buffy said laying her head against his chest.

"Always a pleasure Slayer-Mine, especially when it keeps you alive" he replied laying his cheek against her hair.

"I don't get it" Xander said looking baffled.

Buffy looked up at him and smiled, "Giles taught me that move in our very first training session, never needed to use it before today"

"Oh okay, where's Dawn and James? Shouldn't they be here right now?" he asked putting his arm around Helen and Jesse who was staring at the babies in awe.

"They both came outta you?" he said in awe.

Buffy laughed, "Yes Jesse they both came outta me and I have a feeling that's Dawn now" she said leaning up slightly when she heard the sound of footsteps running down the hall.

"I missed it!" she cried when she came rushing into the room, a pale faced James right behind her.

Helen and Buffy giggled and managed a small high five when Xander patted his back in understanding. Dawn rolled her eyes at them and smiled at Buffy, "Gotta say sis, first time I'm glad I can't have kids"

Buffy laughed, breaking off for a yawn that she tried to stifle. Seeing it Giles gestured for Willow and Dawn to take the babies, "Could you clean them off while I take Buffy up for a bath?"

"Of course" they both said cradling them close, the children following them out so they could watch.

"Everything's okay with Hannah isn't it Heath?" Buffy asked him.

"Yes she's fine. Her colour's good and her breathing is fine, just a bit of a rough start is all" he said taking a black bag from Abby and lifting the towels containing the after birth into it.

Abby took it back with a grin, "Time to make the charms" she said happily and disappeared out the door.

"Charms?" Louis inquired, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"Willow made charms using cord blood for the other three," Giles said sliding out from behind Buffy as Xander held her up, "I have them hanging downstairs in my study which is where those two will go when they are finished"

"But what are they for? I've never heard of charms using an infants cord blood being used before" Louis said.

"They're a blanket protection for them and can be used if they sustain any serious injury" Giles said lifting Buffy into his arms after securing the blanket around her, "Willow invented them before Tommy was born when she saw how worried Buffy was about him getting hurt because of something coming after him"

"Ah I see" Louis said when understanding dawned, "Ingenious really, she's quite a talented Witch"

"We think so" Buffy muttered sleepily, "Can I get clean now please?"

"Yes love," Giles said fondly looking down at her with a soft smile, "Is that all for now gentlemen?" he asked Louis and Adrian.

"Yes, yes of course," Adrian said stepping back and allowing him to pass, "we'll take over for the time being and call you in a few days to let you know what is happening"

"Thank you" Giles said and left the room, the sound of his heavy tread on the stairs was heard a few seconds later over the sound of giggles from the kitchen.

"Quite an eventful day you people have had" Louis said looking back at Xander and Helen.

Xander grunted, "This was nothing compared to some of the days we've had" he said with smirk at his wife.

"What a life you have all led" Adrian said in fascination, "I would love to hear about it sometime"

"Buffy and Giles have it all written down somewhere, maybe they will let you read it one day" Helen said as she folded up the blankets and towels that Buffy had sat on.

Xander walked Louis and Adrian out while Helen performed a general cleansing spell in the dining room, although he doubted he would be able to eat in there again. As he was coming back towards the stairs he saw Buffy and Giles walking slowly down the stairs.

"Shouldn't you be laying down Buffster?" he asked her as Giles led her around the sofa and helped her sit on her chair.

"No, I have to feed the twins and get them dressed" she said as Giles dropped a small bag in her lap then made his way to the kitchen.

"I think I'm going to take everyone out to dinner then so you and Giles can have some peace" Xander said bending down and dropping a kiss on her head.

"Thanks Xand, take my card dinner's on me" she said giving his hand a squeeze. "Maybe even go see a movie as well, you guys have been through the ringer as much as we have these last few months, you deserve some down time"

"It'll be good to go back to the usual crazy for once" he said with a smile just as Giles and Heath came back into the room, each of them holding a baby wrapped in a blanket and followed by the others.

"They okay?" she asked holding her arms out for the one Heath was holding.

"They're perfect" Heath said smiling down at her as he deposited Hannah in her arms, "and they both have a very interesting birthmark"

"Where?" she asked looking down at her daughter and she saw it. An infinity symbol on her hand between the thumb and forefinger. She lightly traced it with her finger and looked up at Giles.

"Yes he has the same one in the same place but on his other hand. A mirror image of his sisters" he said with a grin, "It's a good thing we think" he said indicating the magic users in the room.

"Okay" Xander said clapping his hands together, "I'm taking us all out to dinner and a movie which Buffy is paying for so get your stuff together, change, whatever you need to do 'cause we leave in ten minutes"

Laughing the kids ran from the room, their footsteps on the stairs thundering through the house as the adults retrieved jackets and bags. Heath looked around with a puzzled expression on his face,

"Where's Spike" he asked and Oz laughed.

"He went to London to look up a few old friends, said something about them owing him money and not to expect him back for a while" he said with a grin, "I phoned him and said he missed a fight, I think he's still swearing about it"

"He's gonna be a pain in the ass when he gets back, he hates missing a fight and he wanted another go at Bainbridge as well" Buffy said laying Hannah on her legs so she could put her nappy on and put her in a onesie.

"He's a pain in the arse anyway" Giles grumbled as he did the same with Christopher.

"Ready!" Olly shouted from halfway down the stairs, the thunder of footsteps behind him told them that were all ready to go.

"Where's your bag Buff?" Willow asked her as she shrugged on her jacket.

"Usual place" she said smiling down at Hannah who had woken up and was staring up at her, blinking in surprise.

"Got it" Lizzy said from the hallway and walked into the room a second later holding out her bag. Buffy took it and pulled out her purse to retrieve her bank card and handed it over to Willow.

"Have fun guys" she called out as everyone, including Heath, filed out of the house leaving Buffy and Giles alone with the twins.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Life settled back into the easy rhythm it was in before she was injured at the farm and sent back through time by the Powers. Before they knew it Tommy was being sworn in as a Watcher, at twenty two he was the youngest Watcher to be sworn in in over two hundred years.

That day Tommy and Giles came home both looking somber and vaguely sick, Olly and Lizzy however looked faintly amused. Buffy looked at them with something akin to fear until they told her what was wrong.

"The spell that is cast to find a Watchers Slayer revealed something we never expected" Giles said sitting woodenly on one of the stools in the kitchen.

Buffy looked at him and Tommy expectantly for a few seconds before she gave in and asked, "Well? Who is his Slayer?"

Tommy's laugh was one of shock and disbelief but before he had a chance to answer the twins came running in from the garden and stopped directly in front of him.

"He knows" Hannah whispered to Kit with a smile on her face.

"I thought he'd be happy" Kit whispered back.

"Will someone please tell me what the hell is going on? You're freaking me out" Buffy said throwing her arms in the air.

"It seems that Tommy is Hannah and Kit's Watcher" Giles said calmly looking at the twins in speculation, "How did you two know?"

"We've always known, I think" Kit said. At seven they were both astonishingly smart. Both of them were talking clearly by the age of two and learned to read by the age of three. Languages didn't seem to be a problem for them either and magic came easily to them, only now were they learning more about the craft but they already had a healthy respect for it.

"Yeah, he was always more than our big brother" Hannah said dancing her way over to Buffy and hugging her middle.

"But that's a good thing, why are you guys so miserable about it?" Buffy asked hugging her back.

"We haven't the foggiest either" Lizzy said taking her glasses off and cleaning them with the hem of her sweater.

"I think it's cool" Olly said opening the fridge and pulling out a can of soda.

"More apprehensive than miserable" Tommy said his smile coming across as more of a grimace, "We all know what happens to Slayers"

"But that won't happen to the twins" Buffy said rolling her eyes at them and making them giggle, "go and play you two" she told them shooing them out of the kitchen.

"What if they die 'cause I mess up" Tommy said sadly.

"Will you two lighten up" Buffy said with a smile, "you're forgetting there is a prophecy about them, about all of you, they'll be fine"

"But love, prophecies can be changed, we've proved that" Giles said standing and walking around the island to his wife.

"Only the bad ones can be averted," she said wrapping her arms around his waist and looking up at him, "Us being together was a prophecy and we didn't avert that" she finished with a grin before reaching up and giving him a quick peck on his lips.

She looked back at Tommy and smiled kindly at him, "Don't worry Tommy, you'll be throwing them a grey hair party just like your father threw one for me" she said making him laugh.

"I still think that was weird" Lizzy said helping herself to a bottle of water, "I sure as hell won't be celebrating my grey hairs"

"Until we changed things with the Slayer awakening spell it was never guaranteed that I would live long enough to get them," Buffy said looking at her children sadly. Then she smiled and looked at Giles, her love shining from her face making them smile at their parents.

"But you always swore to me that you would make sure I would and that you would throw me a party when that day came" she said softly, removing a hand from his waist and cupping his cheek.

"And I couldn't have been happier that I was given the chance to do it" he said brushing the backs of his fingers over her cheek.

"Okay, I'm going upstairs before you guys make me barf" Lizzy said with a grin as Hannah and Kit came running back into the kitchen.

"Uncle Xander is here" they said then squealed in delight and ran behind their parents as he came through the door growling at them.

"What do you mean I will be throwing them a party" Tommy asked frowning at them, "Won't you guys be there too?"

"I doubt it son" Giles said sadly.

"Morbid much" Lizzy said scowling at them, "you don't know that for sure"

"Why are we talking about this?" Xander asked looking a little alarmed.

"No clue but it won't happen anytime soon so we can stop talking about it, like now" Buffy said laying her head against Giles' chest and tightening her hold on him.

"They're gonna go together anyway" Hannah said sadly, Kit nodding his head with tears in his eyes.

"What?" Xander, Giles and Buffy asked together.

"Yeah but not for years, it's still sad though" Kit said snuggling into Buffys side as Hannah snuggled up to Giles.

"Enough now" Giles said mildly, "no more talking of death how about we talk about a certain birthday party that is coming up in a few weeks instead"

"Yay party!" the twins shouted in delight and started jumping up and down as they told everyone about the donkey rides they were going to have at the fair that weekend and about all the food they wanted to have at the party.

Giles looked down at Buffy, worried that the revelation about their death from their highly intuitive children would have disturbed her but instead was surprised to see her smiling up at him, "What are you smiling about love?" he asked in a whisper.

"I won't have to live without you" she whispered back, "is it weird I'm happy about that?"

He smiled at her and cupped her face in his hands, brushing his thumbs lightly over her cheeks, "No love it isn't" he said, relieved himself that he would never again have to feel the pain of not having her in his life.

He bent his head and kissed her, both of them smiling when they heard the twins, and Xander and Olly, loudly saying 'eeww' ignoring them as they all left the room leaving them in their moment of happiness.


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer:- See first chapter**

 **Rating:- T**

 **A/N:-** This is it for this story, thank you for traveling with me through their journey.

Epilogue

 _June 25th 2063_

 _Yesterday we held a small private funeral for my parents. I say small but our family is rather large now. Between myself and my four siblings we have fourteen children. Our cousins, Jesse and Isabelle, have five between them, Willow and Abby's children they used IVF to have, Gideon and Heather with their seven children and then there were our American cousins, Ella and Jake, with their four children. Along with our spouses the small church we used for the service seemed full. Spike and Angel showed up as well but we kept it strictly family, the public memorial will be held today._

 _According to my eldest son, Ryan, it is turning into a rather large affair._

 _It was Lizzy who found them, two weeks ago. Her pain reaching all of us causing us to teleport to her side instantly. They were still in bed, lying together in each others arms looking for all the world as if they were still sleeping. Hannah and Kit had been right all those years ago, they had gone together._

 _Their deaths had brought to an end the most painful eight years of my life. First we lost Dawn and James when a drunk driver hit them killing them instantly. Then we lost Abby to a stroke and Willow not long after, Mum said that it was a broken heart that took her from us and I couldn't disagree. Oz was killed in a fight with another wolf who was trying to build an army of wolves in London and then we lost Helen to cancer. We lost Xander six months ago to a heart attack._

 _Faith and Robin were the only two to die from an attack gone wrong when Jake was twenty three, neither of them able to just leave it be, twenty years ago. I remember Mum smiling sadly when she found out and she told me that they wouldn't have wanted to just slip away anyway._

 _Today we inter my parents ashes alongside the rest of our family in the small graveyard in the grounds of the Academy they started all those years ago. The greatest Slayer and Watcher to have ever lived, the kindest, most loving and truly wonderful parents anyone could ever have hoped for are gone…._

Tommy put down his pen and covered his face with his hands as the tears began to fall. Spike stood in the hall watching him, his own heart heavy with grief.

"Tommy mate," he said gently walking into the room and put his hand on his shoulder.

"How do I live without them Spike?" he asked, his voice thick with pain.

"By taking each day as it comes just like they did when they lost the people they cared about" Spike said giving his shoulder a squeeze then letting go. He walked over to the liquor cabinet and removed the scotch and two glasses. He poured a generous measure in each and took them back over to Tommy. Handing him one he gave him a grim smile.

"Wouldn't be the first time I've had to live without your mother and being immortal means I'll probably end up burying you lot as well" he said then tossed down the contents of his glass, "Come on, knock that back and lets get this over with before I give in the urge to go on a month long bender, killing and drinking everything I can lay my hands on"

Tommy threw the scotch back and grimaced as it went down. He put the glass back on the desk and stood, straightening his tie and jacket as he turned towards Spike, "You wouldn't dare kill anything human, Hannah and Kit would never talk to you again if you did" he said with a small smile.

Spike chuckled and nodded, conceding the point, "Get your mojo working lad, the others are already there" he said clasping his shoulder.

"I know, I can feel them" Tommy said the grin slipping from his face, his eyes closing against the tears that still threatened to fall.

He sighed and gripped Spikes arm, teleporting them into the library behind the rest of his family. His wife Emily turned and walked into his arms giving him a reassuring squeeze before stepping back and letting him walk forward towards his siblings.

They were standing in front of the main bookcase that held what Xander had jokingly referred to as The Hellmouth Chronicles, fifty books containing his parents accounts of their time in Sunnydale. Hanging above it was the painting of them with Willow and Xander, the core four as they called themselves. Next to it on either side were paintings of what Xander had called the extended editions of the Scooby Gang, recreations of pictures that had been taken. In one was the four of them with Cordelia and Angel, another had Spike, Tara, Anya and Dawn in it, another had James, Abby and Helen and the last one that Dawn had painted was there above the fireplace.

In it was all of them with all of the people here now, every one of them smiling and happy. He couldn't look at it for long.

"Are you ready to begin?" a voice asked from behind them.

Tommy looked at each of his siblings, his sisters already crying, and then nodded at the woman in the doorway, "Yes Priestess, we're ready" he said his eyes drawn to the purple and green urns in her attendants hands.

She smiled in understanding at them as they made their way through the crowd of their children, Tommy putting his arms around his sisters as the tears silently slid down their cheeks. She turned and walked towards the heavy oak doors that stood open and led them out onto the lawn.

Everybody gasped in shock when they saw the crowd that had gathered. Hundreds of people, more than a few demons as well, were gathered between them and the epitaph that would soon have his parents ashes at its feet. Slayers, Watchers, Potentials, Witches, Werewolves, Demons on the side of Light, normal humans young and old, probably people that had been saved by them at one point or another. There wasn't a demographic not represented in front of them and when the Priestess walked towards them they parted like the red sea, bowing their heads in respect.

Tommy's grip tightened on his sisters shoulders as a sob escaped his throat, he could hear his brothers sniffing behind him as well. He looked over his shoulder and saw tears on the faces of Angel and Spike and the rest of his family too. He faced forward and followed the Priestess' footsteps until he came to a halt in front of the bright white marble of the epitaph, a blank square until he and his siblings did their part, with two deep holes open in the earth at it's feet with the boxes ready to hold them and cement ready to pour.

The Priestess stopped and turned to face the crowd, her attendants walked a few steps further before stopping behind her, facing her back.

"We are here today to lay to rest two servants of the Light, Buffy and Rupert Giles" she said her voice carrying in the silence that had fallen, "They gave their lives to the fight against the Darkness and saved many lives in doing so. I see the people gathered here and my soul sings with the respect and love I can feel rising from you all but there is also sadness, especially from the people standing in front me, their family, and to them I say this; Don't be sad for long, they wouldn't want that for you. Don't mourn their loss, instead celebrate their life for it was well lived and they now walk with the ones who went before them in paradise and will wait for you until it is your time to join them" she stopped and nodded to Angel who stepped forward wiping his face.

"Most of you know me so you know the history I had with Buffy and Giles," he said looking at Tommy, Lizzy, Olly, Hannah and Kit instead of the rest of them, "I have known them from the time they first met and watched as their love grew for each other, changing and evolving until anyone could see the way they really felt about each other except them and I was awed by the relationship that they had when they finally admitted to each other what they felt. I could say so much but instead I'm just going to paraphrase what Buffy said after her first major victory, something I think she would want you to remember now, she saved the world now she would want you to party" he stepped back towards them as they chuckled, knowing full well that she would say exactly that, and they engulfed him in a hug.

Spike grinned at his discomfort and walked around the huddle to say his piece, "While peaches is getting felt up by the Giles brood I'm gonna say my piece" he said as Angel threw him a dirty look and Hannah and Kit laughed, "When I first met Buffy I tried to kill her but she was unlike any Slayer that I had met before and wouldn't give up easily, stubborn is a good word to describe her. I tried to off her a few more times but the little cow wormed her way inside and dug her bleeding claws in" he said looking down at the floor with a sniff, "I loved her, just like peaches there did, you couldn't know her and not love her really but she only had eyes for your Dad in the end. I have spent the last forty odd years living in their guest house when I wasn't off doing my own thing and they made me part of the family, even if your Dad did constantly call me a prat, among other things" he said with a soggy chuckle. He looked at the kids, his mouth set in a serious line, "You lot mean the world to me and unless I come to a dusty end I promise you that I will always be around. Just like that bloody link you lot have, I won't leave until the last of you draws breath"

Tommy smiled at him and stepped out of his sisters arms, "So we'll never be rid of you then" he said and Spike barked out a laugh.

"Giles bloody junior you are mate" he said then pulled him in for a crushing hug which Tommy returned. As he let go Olly and Jesse both punched him on each arm and Lizzy kissed his cheek. Hannah and Kit came forward and wrapped their arms around him, both of them having grown up around Spike and thought of him as their Uncle more than the others did. Spike turned and looked at the purple urn, smiling sadly he said in a soft voice that only Angel could hear, "Third times the charm aye pet" then he turned and walked back to his place behind the kids.

Tommy stepped forward then and everyone waited with baited breath for what he was about to say.

"My parents suffered so much before the end of Sunnydale but Mum would always say that without the suffering then we wouldn't know what true happiness was" he looked at his feet and swallowed the lump that was clawing its way up, "They found that happiness in each other and it's because of them that I could recognise my own when it walked into my office" he said smiling at his wife.

"After we f...f..found them, I was angry at them for leaving us" he stopped to wipe away the tears that had spilled from his eyes, "I stood there and felt like a small child again and was angry because they were always so full of life and laughter and when I was a child I thought that they would live forever. Fifty eight years old and I was silently begging them to wake up," he gripped Lizzy's hand when she reached out for him and saw through their link that she and his siblings had felt the same way. "But I look at my children, my nieces and nephews, my cousins and their children and I see them, all of them," he said gesturing to the other epitaphs either side of his parents one, smaller but still significant, "in them. I see them in the faces of everyone here. Every life they touched, every life they changed or saved, the lessons we learn from them even now and I realise that they will live forever" he laughed then when he caught the thought from Olly, "Yes Olly I know, Mum hated the corny stuff but it's still true"

"Yeah yeah, whatever" Olly said with a wet chuckle as he wiped his face off and everyone laughed because they could imagine Buffy saying that to Giles.

"Dad always said that Mum was the one who showed him a different way to do it, that she showed him how to live again and I really believe they were two pieces of the same person. They weren't perfect and they constantly told us that, just like they told us that it was okay to make mistakes as long as we learned from them" he looked over the crowd gathered around them and smiled, "You know they'd hate this much attention and probably say they didn't deserve it but they would be wrong which is why the Academy is being renamed as the Summers Giles Academy for the gifted"

His announcement was met with a deafening roar of applause and cheers and he stepped back to let the Priestess continue with the ceremony. She said a prayer over the urns and placed them gently in the boxes waiting for them and lowered them into the ground then her attendants spelled the containers of cement to pour over the top of them, spelling it again to dry instantly so the Priestess could cast the charms and carve the runes that meant that no one could ever dig them up.

Once they were done the grandchildren stepped forward and replaced the soil and sod wetting the ground with their tears then stood and stepped back allowing the five of them to join hands around the epitaph and cast their spell. They closed their eyes and muttered the spell that would engrave their parents names in the marble opening their eyes at the gasp of surprise from everyone there.

A bright blue flame burned at the base of the stone leaving no sign of it's heat on the marble. Jesse cried out and they swung their heads in the direction he was pointing and stumbled back in shock. The other epitaphs each held similar flames and Tommy looked at the Priestess hoping she could explain it.

"It's them Thomas, all of them" she said staring in wonder at the dancing flames adorning the white marble stones.

"What do you mean?" Lizzy asked blinking away the tears that were blurring her vision.

"It's their way of telling you that they are together again and that they will always be there to guide you when you most have need of them" she said stepping forward and touching each of their cheeks before turning and walking away.

"It was your mother" Spike said stepping forward with his hands in his pockets, "There's no way in any plane of existence that she would not be able to have the last bloody word"

Olly started laughing and soon all of them were crying tears of laughter instead of sadness as the rest of the crowd silently filed out of the grounds, their families heading back into the Academy to wait for their return.

" _We did good didn't we" Buffy said as she watched her children laughing at what Spike had said, brushing away the tears their words had caused._

" _That we did love" Giles agreed wrapping his arms around her._

" _They'll be okay won't they?" Willow asked stepping up next to Buffy and taking her hand._

" _Sure they will, you heard Spike, he'll never leave them" Xander said coming up on the other side of Giles and putting his hand on his shoulder._

 _They were all young again, looking as they did after they had defeated the First. Giles looked younger than they had ever seen him and was about the same age as them now._

" _He loves them like they were his own, why do you think I didn't begrudge him staying with us all those years" Giles said placing a kiss on Buffys head._

" _Who you kidding G-Man, you hated having him there" Xander said as they watched them all walk back to the house._

" _I did not hate having him there" Giles said as they turned away from the academy and walked back towards the others, "and stop calling me that"_

" _Yeah Xander it's not like he hasn't been telling you top stop for nearly seventy years" Dawn said as they joined them._

" _What are we doing today then?" Abby asked as she linked arms with Willow, "Do you wanna go and see the dodo's again?"_

" _Ooh yes please" Willow said grinning madly, "Oz is probably at Heavens version of Woodstock still, I might pop in in a while to see who's on stage this time 'cause seeing Bowie was amazing"_

" _Beach?" Buffy said hopefully, "maybe a lagoon with a waterfall. Faith and Robin are either at the bar or screwing or, ya know, both" she said with a laugh._

" _I vote shopping" Dawn said linking arms with Buffy and pulling her forward out of Giles' arms, "Who knew Heaven had the latest couture? Mom's probably still at that mahoosive gallery"_

" _Well I'm putting my vote in for bowling again" Xander said putting his arm around Helen's shoulders._

" _I'm putting in for mini golf" James said taking Dawns hand._

" _Cinema" Helen said raising her hand with a smile._

 _Giles looked over them all smiling fondly as he had a powerful sense of deja-vu, the echo of him saying 'the earth is doomed' sounding in his ears when Buffy detached herself from Dawn and walked back to him, tucking herself into his side._

" _Wanna know what I really wanna do Watcher-Mine?" she whispered to him._

" _I'm not sure do I?" he said laughing as she slapped his chest and rolled her eyes at him, "What do you really want to do my love?" he asked her seriously._

" _Re-create the library and your flat and live out some of those fantasies I had before I died the second time" she said looking up at him with an eager expression on her face, her eyes darkening with desire as he was sure his were._

" _Now that sounds like a bloody good idea love" he said then bent down and scooped her up into his arms._

" _What are you doing?" she squealed in delight the others turning and smiling at them as they began to fade into the landscape still talking about what they were going to do._

" _I've always wanted to carry you off into the sunset" he said softly before bending his head and placing a gentle kiss on her lips._

 _Buffy looked back at the Academy and saw Hannah and Kit standing at the top of the steps and holding hands, their birthmarks glowing faintly as they watched them walk away with a smile on their faces. She smiled at them and patted Giles on the chest, nodding back when he looked down at her. He turned them around and smiled at his youngest children, making sure Buffy had a good grip before he let go of her back and waved as she blew them a kiss._

 _They waved back and then let go of each others hands, walking into the Academy. Buffy and Giles watched until the doors closed on the faces of their children then he turned and carried her away, fading into the light of a sunset over Sunnydale._

~~Finis~~


End file.
